Fitting In
by TheBlackHand724
Summary: Sequel to The Options Game. A fluffy story that covers the four days between that night and the Euro trip. It also gets the ball rolling on the caskett ship. T for safety. Hope you like it, Now Beta'ed, and complete yay! TBH
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: (said in a German accent) "I own nothing!"

AN: this is the sequel to the options game. It's going to be about seven chapters (I have four done) the point of this story is to show the day to day life of Castle and how Beckett fits in. It's also the bridge to my next story, called "Heated Moments" (it's a working title) that story will be written in the style of "Chuck vs the Bright Side of Life" by Notorious JMG, I love that story and if you like Chuck I'd suggest you reed it, and it's three sequels. It's some of the best Chuck fan fiction on the interweb. Anyways it follows the main characters through big events in there lives. I like the way it flows and I've wanted to try my hand at that format. Enough pontificating on to the fluff.

Fitting In

Chapter 1

The wake up call

Thursday 7 AM

"Detective Beckett? Kate?"

Kate slowly drifted out of her dream of floating on a cloud. She cracked an eye open, and saw Alexis dressed for school standing by her bed. She was confused for a moment then the events of the last two days came flowing back into her mind. She had no home and she was living in Castle's guest bedroom. She raised a hand to her forehead and tried to rub away the blinding headache. "Oh… why does it hurt?" she mumbles out.

"That would be the after effects of gram's margaritas. You had like six of them last night. I think she's impressed, most people pass out after four." Kate remembers last night in bits and pieces. Coming home with Castle, seeing her huge guest room, sitting down to dinner of a big taco platter and a margarita, Castle telling her to slow down on the toxic green juice, singing show tunes with Martha, _I Could have danced all night! _

"Oh God, why are you yelling at me? and why is the room spinning?" she groans and flips the blanket over her head to block out the light.

"I'm not yelling, dad sent me in here to wake you up and gram told me to take you some mint tea and two Aleve. It's on the bed side table if your interested." Alexis replies with that same Castle cocky smirk.

Kate flips off the blanket and grabs the two blue pills and downs them with a sip of tea. Almost instantly the tea makes her feel more human. She sits up in bed and stretches. "this is some good stuff. What is it?" then she looks down at what she's wearing. Just her underwear and what she was guessing was Castle's huge blue and white striped dress shirt. "How did I get like this? The last thing I remember is passing out by the piano. Oh god your dad didn't see me half naked did he!" Kate sounded panicked now, and it was making her head hurt more.

Alexis sat on the bed next to her and hugged her, this stopped her panicking. "Slow down, first of all you did pass out by the piano last night. Dad carried you in here and Gram made him surrender his shirt, and leave the room. We changed you and tucked you in. dad didn't see your underwear. But I must say you do wear some skimpy stuff." Alexis hoped to lighten the mood a little.

"It's all I have. The only clothes I have are the things I kept at the precinct. I have my last minute after work date clothes and a couple of pairs of jeans and a sweatshirt." she replied remorsefully.

"Oh! I'm so sorry. you can barrow some of my stuff until we can go out shopping. We're about the same size any ways."

"I don't want to impose, I'm already living here…"

"Exactly your living here that means your family. That means you get the same privileges as …" Alexis trailed off when she noticed that Kate got teary eyed. "Kate are you okay?" she just nods but she still looks choked up. Just then Martha walked in to the room wearing a green silk kimono.

"Hello ladies! Oh group hug." Martha hopped on the bed on the other side of Kate and looped her arms around the Detective. This just made Kate sob quietly. "oh what's wrong darling?" Martha hugged Kate closer, and she was rocked with sobs. "what happened Alexis?"

"We were talking, and all of a sudden she looked all choked up. Then when you joined in the hug she started to sob." Alexis looked lost.

"it's just… I'm… it's been a wile since I've been a part of a family. Since my mom died…" she trailed off and sobbed harder.

"Oh, honey it's okay, let it out. You don't have to be strong right now, let it out, that's it." Martha held on to Kate tighter.

Richard Castle stood by the stove flipping French toast and mixing a big pan of scrambled eggs. he looked at the clock on the stove and scratched his head. He sent Alexis upstairs fifteen minutes ago to wake Kate up. Then five minutes ago he sent his mother up to check on what's taking so long. Now breakfast was ready and everyone was upstairs. He pulled the pans off the stove and wiping his hands in a towel he climbed the stairs in search of his three favorite ladies. When he got to the top of the stairs he heard sobbing. He approached Kate's room and saw them all on the bed hugging each other. He met his mother's eyes and she shook her head. He went back down to the kitchen. "I guess they need a little more time?"

Martha rubbed small circles on Kate's back. "Honey I think it's time to go down, and have something to eat. I find that a heavy meal after a good cry makes every thing all better."

"Okay?" she was feeling kind of dumb at the moment. Here was a family that had taken her in, and she cry's on them for it. Maybe Castle was right she needed a vacation to get her self together, not that she was ever going to admit it to him.

"Alexis go down and stall your dad, and I'll get Katie here presentable."

"Okay gram." Alexis walked out of the room.

"come on lets get you cleaned up," as they walked into the bathroom Martha saw the unsure look in Kate's eyes. "Now I know you feel crazy for falling apart for such a small thing as a group hug, but your emotion are all off kilter right now. That outburst was bound to happen at some point. You've been under a lot of stress and all this means is that you feel safe enough with us to let it out." Kate turned on the cold water in the sink and splashed some on her face. "I was like this after my second marriage you know. It hurt a lot but I kept it bottled up and went about my day as usual. Then one day Richard came home from school, he was about ten at the time, and he gave me a Valentines day card that he made in art class. It was just a folded up piece of red paper with "I love you mommy" written in it. I cried for an hour after that. He didn't understand what made me cry but I played it off as just being touched by such good workmanship. Till this day I think he thinks he's good a making cards." they had a good laugh over that as they made there way down to the table.

As they sat down Rick came in with the last platter of eggs. he took one look at Kate sitting there In just her underwear and his shirt and almost dropped the plate. She had no makeup on, her hair was in a messy ponytail, and her eyes were still a little puffy. All that, and Rick didn't think she could look any sexier. There's just something about a woman wearing your clothes that's just so damn sexy. She turned to look at him, and saw that he was staring at her. She blushed, and Rick changed his opinion. She looked even hotter now. What he would give to see her flushed laying under him panting… no he was at the dining room table, he was not going to have a sex fantasy. it was at times like now that his writer's imagination was both a blessing and a curse. Shaking his head he sat down. "So what's everyone doing today?"

"I have school and then Owen and I are going to study for our Calculus Test tomorrow." said Alexis in between bites of French toast.

I'm off to Chet's place to see if he has all our tickets and reservations for our trip to Chicago."

"I'm going in to the precinct to gather some stuff and check in with the team. I'm not taking new cases but I still have some paperwork to fill out on the Nikki Heat killer. I also was wondering where they put the undamaged stuff from my apartment." replied Kate

"They're in five boxes sitting in Lanie's office. She had the CSU boys drop them off yesterday." added Rick.

"What are you going to do today dad?"

"Well pumpkin someone has to make the arrangements for our Euro trip." Rick said nonchalantly. Alexis screamed yes and ran around the table to hug her dad. "It wasn't my idea, it was Kate's, I still want to go on the cruse." Alexis ran around and hugged Kate.

"It's going to be great! Thank you for picking the trip to Europe." said Alexis as she sat back down in her seat.

"Yeah, I've never been out of the country before and the trip sounded like more fun. Plus I knew your dad wanted to go on the cruse."

"Oh it's going to be so much fun. I planned it all. We're starting off in London for a few days, we'll see the Tate, and the Tems. Then we're going to take the bullet train to Paris. We'll spend a few days going to museums and visiting famous places there too. Then we're off to Berlin for two days. And we finish off the last five days on a tour of Italy. It's going to be so much fun, I can't wait!" said Alexis in that fast teenage girl talk.

"We have to add a stop off in Modena Italy pumpkin. So that Kate can look at birthday present options." added Rick.

"No! Castle that was a joke right? You are not buying me an Italian sports car." protested Kate.

"oh dad which one are you getting her?"

"Well that's up to her kiddo. That's why we are making the stop in Modena. So she can visit the Ferrari and Lamborghini plants."

"No! You can't buy me a car, and that's final." said a defiant Kate.

"If your finished Kate I can take you up to my room so we can find you something to wear." Alexis looked like she was excited about the prospect of playing dress up with Kate.

"Yeah, I'm done now lets find something fast so your not late for school." they both stood up and took their plates to the sink, and headed upstairs.

"That's one strong, smart woman. Richard, don't mess this up." said Martha as she walked by his chair headed to the kitchen.

"I don't know what you're talking about mother." replied Castle as he followed her it to the kitchen carrying the rest of the plates.

"Don't play dumb with me buster! I'm your mother. I know when you're in love." she tossed back triumphantly.

"I am not! Detective Beckett is just my muse for the Nikki Heat books!" he tried to sound more confident then he was.

"I'm a professional Stage actor Richard, and you're not. I know you love that woman, and for the first time in a long time, I approve. She's smart, and confident. She's everything you need in a partner. But she's not used to having someone take care of her. You have to go about this slowly. Go on this trip but don't push for a physical relationship. Let her see that you love her. Let her come to you at her own pace. I'll talk to Alexis, and we will help as much as we can. You are not going to lose this one kiddo." for the first time in a long time Richard Castle saw the serious side of his mother. He relented.

"Fine, but I'll give you the same advice. No scaring her off. And what was that crying group hug I almost walked in on?"

"She had a small emotional meltdown. She's been under a lot of stress as of late and it was bound to happen. Every woman is entitled to a meltdown every now and then." she replies in a airy manor.

"well I'm glad that you and Alexis were there to help her with it." Castle sounds relieved.

Upstairs in Alexis' room the two ladies are looking through Alexis' closet. "so what do you have?" asked Alexis.

"Well I have a couple of underwear sets, and I have two pairs of jeans. But I'm short on tops and socks. I also only have one pair of black high heeled boots that aren't all that comfortable. So if I can barrow a top, and if you're a size 9 maybe a pair of shoes?" Kate looked embarrassed about asking.

"Yeah, no problem. I'm a size 9 so pick a pair of shoes from the bottom of the closet, and do you need something dressy or casual?" replied Alexis as she started to thumb through her tops.

"um, well I'm just stopping by my desk for a few minutes, so I don't need anything too dressy. I guess just something comfortable." Kate shrugs.

"Cool I can do that. Okay um, oh! How about this red cassimere sweater. And I have a pair of red low top Chucks that match." she pulled a light weight sweater and picked up the Chucks.

"That's perfect. How did you know that red was my color?" asked Kate as she took the offered top and shoes.

"Dad told me. You said that you needed socks right. I have short ankle socks, or the longer calf socks?" she asked holding up a pair in each hand.

"I'll take the short ones, and I promise that you will get your stuff back unharmed."

"I know I will. It's cool your family now Kate, we Castle's stick together." she replied without hesitation as she grabbed her book bag.

"I'm going to take a shower, see you later Alexis." said Kate as Alexis hugged her and walked downstairs.

Everyone left the apartment by the time Kate came out of her room dressed. She sat down on her bed and called Lanie.

"Dr. Parish."

"Its me Kate."

"Hey girl! What's up?"

"well Castle said that my stuff is in your office, I was wondering if you might be free for lunch today at that diner down the street from the station, and after that I could swing by and get the boxes."

"Yeah that sounds good to me, as long as another body doesn't drop between now and then."

"great Lanie. I'll see you at the diner at noon."


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: Not Mine!

AN: everyone has a lunch date and they all have an agenda.

Chapter 2

Lunch time.

Kate sat in a booth in the diner on the corner across the street from the 12th Precinct playing with her milkshake straw, and thinking about the first part of her day. She came in to work today to finish up the last of the paper work from their last case, and to drop off the paperwork to the captain for her two weeks vacation.

When she walked into the bullpen everyone was gathered around Esposito as he read from what looked like a news paper. As she got closer to him she could pick up what he was saying.

"… and so with the FBI surrounding a empty building. It was the crime fighting duo of Detective Kate Beckett and author Richard Castle that stormed the building across the street on a hunch. Capturing the serial killer, and Rescuing the kidnapped Star FBI expert, Agent Jordan Shaw. The Nikki Heat killer is behind bars and it was none other than Nikki Heat that took him down. The streets of New York are safer tonight thanks to the kick ass real life inspiration behind the best seller's newest book."

"If you believe that article than I should be wearing spandex and a red cape!" Kate shouted over the musings of the crowd. When they heard her they scattered like a bunch of school kids from a broken window. She walked over to her desk and plopped down in her chair. Ryan and Esposito stood by her desk. She looked up at them and they looked away. "What do you guys want?"

"Nothing" Ryan muttered while Esposito just shrugged.

"You two want to ask me something and your going to stand there until you do. I know you will, so ask." she said looking at her computer screen.

"Well the Captain said that we were going to be working under him and Shaw for the next two weeks. Is that true." asked Esposito meekly.

"Yep, it was either take a vacation or be put on medical leave. So I took the vacation." she said nonchalantly.

"So do you want us to keep you in the loop on all the cases we get. We can CC you in on all the e-mails and send you files." said Ryan.

"no good, I'm going to be out of the country for the next two week, and you will not disturb the trip Alexis planned…" she realized a second too late what she let slip. She looked up from her screen to see her teammates with big stupid grins on there faces.

"So your going on a trip with the Castle clan?" said Ryan in what she thought was just a little too happy a voice.

"No!" seeing there looks of disbelief she amended. "Just Castle and Alexis."

"oh! So it's just a test run to see if you'd fit in on a more permanent bases." joked Esposito.

"Both of you shut up! Don't you have work to do? Go pretend like your detectives by your own desks." she got up and took the paperwork to the Captain's office. She walked in and sat in one of the two chairs in front of his desk. He looked up at her with a fearful look.

"Your not here to shoot me for the vacation thing right?"

"No sir. I understand, I have been wearing my self out over the last few months and some time away from here is just what I need."

"I'm glad you see it that way Beckett. I was afraid that you might storm in here today and open fire on me. The absence of the blood shed is a plus. Do you have any plans for your time off?"

"Yes sir. I'm taking a tour of Europe."

"Good, relax and live a little. Then come back and be the super hero they paint you out to be in the paper." now that he saw she was not going to shoot him he decided to try joking about the article.

"Yes I've had the misfortune of catching some of it." she replied morosely.

"Don't be so embarrassed by it, most of it's true, and I'm damn proud that it was you and Castle that caught the guy and not some hot shot FBI agent. It's good press for the department." Roy Montgomery was very happy with the article. He had a similar talk with Castle last night.

"I stopped by to drop off this paperwork for my vacation sir."

"Right hand that over, and take the rest of the week off there's no new cases right now and hopefully there wont be one for a couple of days."

"Wishful thinking sir there are millions of people in this city. There's bound to be a new case soon."

"well go out there and finish up your last report and then your free for the next two days. that's an order. You were just in an explosion a few days ago get some rest."

"okay." she was not too happy with the order of take the rest of the day and tomorrow off. She spent the rest of her morning filing the reports for the Heat case and grabbed some stuff from her desk and locker. Now she was waiting for Lanie to show up for lunch. As if on cue Lanie walked in to the diner, and sat in the other side of the booth.

"Hey Girl what's going on? Did you see the article?" said Lanie with a big smile

"Yes. I saw the damn article. Why is everyone asking me if I saw it?" replied Beckett with a huff.

"why are you acting all mad for. You look good in the picture and they make you sound like a real life Wonder Woman. Its all good."

"No it's not all good! I'm a joke. People are going to think I run around in a cape. I'm a homicide detective for god sakes, no one will take me seriously!" Kate was mad.

"first of all girl this is good for your career. It's good press." seeing Kate's confused look she added. "Okay say you go talk to a victims family about their murdered love one right?"

"Right."

"How much better will they feel if they see detective Kate Beckett is on the case. I know that I'd be happy if a famous super cop was on the case. It's like that FBI lady Shaw, and her reputation for being the best. You saved the best, that makes you the best. It's all good girl."

"Okay I see your point, but I still don't like all the attention. I bring closure to families and put bad guys away. I don't do it for the press." said Kate with conviction in her voice.

"Heroes don't do it for the press, that's what makes them heroes." Lanie tossed back.

"I didn't ask you to lunch to talk about my fame, I asked you here to talk about. Well…" Kate trailed off.

"Writer boy?" Lanie supplied.

"Yeah. Yesterday he made me play this stupid game and he gave me my dad's watch and a gift card for new clothes, and, and a place to stay, and Lanie I don't know what I'm doing!" said a panicked Kate.

"Wow slow down girl! Start from the beginning." Lanie took her friends hand and squeezed it reassuringly.

"Well it all started with him showing up at my desk after work…" and over burgers and cheese fries she told Lanie all about the game and the choices she made. As they were walking back the precinct Lanie gave her opinion.

"So let me get this straight. Writer boy gave you a Rolex, a shopping spree, a Euro trip and his guest bedroom?" she asked still in disbelief.

"Yep. Oh, and he wants to get me a Italian sports car for my birthday next month. Lanie what does it all mean. does he expect me to have sex with him? does he think he's my sugar daddy now? what does it all mean?" they made it to the morgue and were now sitting in Lanie's cramped office thanks to the stack of boxes.

"Well isn't it obvious? He's in love with you girl." said a smiling Lanie.

"No. he just wants to get in my pants. that's it."

"I don't think so. If he just wanted to sleep with you he would have just wined and dined you. Then hit it and quit it. But he stuck around and wrote that book and now he wants you to get along with his daughter. Kate that boy is smitten."

"you think?" said an unsure Kate.

"You said it yourself, the most important thing in the world to him is his daughter. Now as a girl that was raised by just her daddy it's important to him that the woman he loves can get along with his Baby girl. Now you said that he wants you to take Alexis shopping with you, and you are going on a trip with her…" Lanie stopped talking when she saw her friend get that glazed over look in her eyes.

"oh god he sent her up to wake me, and help with my hangover. And when I asked her how she knew I liked red she said that her dad told her. Lanie your right he loves me. What do I do?" she had that panicked look again.

"first of all do you like him?"

"Yeah I guess. I'm not sure?"

"Okay, well you like his books, and you think he's fun. He makes you laugh and he helped you with your mom's case. I say go on the trip and spend time with him away from dead bodies, and see if you still have stuff to talk about."

"I guess, but Lanie what if he finds some hot bimbbet fan on the trip? I can't compete with them. I'm tall and skinny, and gangly, and flat, and…"

"Wow! Easy girl. You just said that you don't know if you like him, now your off on some imagined world where you love Castle and he cheats on you. How can you be so confident in your job and be this insecure about your love life?"

"I've always looked like this and I've seen my boyfriends look at other girls that had bigger boobs. I even got stood up for my senior prom because my date found some big chestted blond bimbo. I cried for hours. Never again Lanie, I said right there and then never again. And what if after a while he finds another muse? He was already coming up with theory with Shaw. And that book idea about Federal Heat. It's just a matter of time before he goes looking for new inspiration. What then Lanie. I can't be with Richard Castle he's too unpredictable."

"My God Girl I said take it easy. Lets take this one step at a time. Try going on the trip and seeing if there's even a relationship to start with. Then we can worry about other stuff."

"Okay I can do that. Now lets get these boxes to my car."

While Kate and Lanie were having lunch at the diner, Martha took Alexis out on her lunch break. They were sitting in a little pizza place down the street from Alexis' school.

"Okay gram what do you need to talk to me about?" asked Alexis as she took a bite of her slice of veggie.

"well it's about Kate and your dad." Martha hedged as she poured dressing on her salad.

"what about them?"

"Well they love each other and I think it's are duty as the smart ones of this family to help them get together."

"I like Kate, I think she's cool."

"I agree kiddo, and she's just what your dad needs. She's a strong independent woman that can hold her own against your dad's charms, but that's the problem. She's not used to having people look out for her. She's been on her own since her mom died and it's going to be hard for her to let go."

"So what can we do? I like her a lot and I want to see dad happy." said Alexis with conviction.

"That's the spirit kiddo. We have to show her that we except her as one of us. You already started with the whole letting her barrow your clothes. Now all we have to do is make sure that we include her in all the stuff we do. You know make her fell like she fits in."

"I can do that gram."

"good because for the next two weeks it's just going to be you, your dad, and Kate. So it's up to you to keep it going. Also keep telling your dad that you like her. It will give him confidence that she's the right one for him."

"your really good at this whole scheming thing Gram, what do we do first." Alexis looked at Martha with a new respect.

"the first thing we do is I'll take her out somewhere and sus out her feeling about your dad then we have to make this shopping trip on Saturday spectacular. It has to be a girls bonding day as much as a clothes shopping trip." Martha said with a over dramatic flourish.

"To scheming in the name of love!" Alexis calls out as she clinks her can of Coke with Martha's water bottle.

On the other side of the city Richard Castle was sitting down to a lunch meeting with Paula his agent. sitting in this upscale restaurant he could not help but think about the overpriced yet undersized meal he was about to order. Man he wished they were having the meeting at the diner across the street from the precinct, they had the best burgers.

"Ricky baby did you see the Ledger today?" she asked holding up the paper with the article about the killer they caught yesterday.

"No I have not." Rick takes the paper and skims the article. "Beckett's going to be pissed."

"Ricky Baby what are you talking about? that's got to be the best publicity the NYPD has gotten in like the last five years." she didn't get it.

"Yeah, but Kate's a private person." he explained.

"So now it's Kate. Rick get it over with, sleep with her so you can get it out of your system. Then maybe you can go back to being a writer instead of playing a cop." she offered what she thought was sage wisdom.

"What? I'm not going to get it out of my system! he was insulted on Kate's behalf. She didn't understand that there was no getting her out of his system.

"Oh, Ricky how bad is it?" she asked concerned.

"How bad is what?"

"How about you tell me about Kate?" she ask to see what he would say.

"she's smart, like genius smart, and that makes her hot, oh so hot. She is my absolute equal when it comes to sparring with words. We could go back and forth all day and never get tired of each other. And she's got these eyes… they're green and brown, and when she's mad at me they glow…"

"Stop, just stop right there. God it's worse then I thought. Your totally lost. You know that your book sales will go down if you turn every book into an ode to Kate Beckett right?" she asked in an exhausted sigh.

"What are you talking about? You said tell me about Kate and I did. What's the problem?" he was confused and to be quite frank he was getting tired of the big hoopla about book sales. So what if his book sales went down?

"God Rick your so lost in this girl that you don't even see it. I asked you to tell me about her. The answer I was expecting was: 5'6", 120lb, long legs, and nice tits. Not a sonnet about her eyes. If you start writing like that then you can kiss your book deal goodbye."

"You know what? I don't care any more! I've seen real cops catch real bad guys, and suddenly all this talk about books is getting tiring. I'm going on a vacation for two weeks, and when I come back maybe this will seem important, but right now I just don't care. I'll see you later Paula." with that Rick Castle stood up from his seat and tossed a fifty on the table and walked out of the restaurant. He pulled out his iPhone and called the bullpen. Esposito picked up the phone.

"12th homicide, how can I help ya."

"Hey Esposito, its Castle. Is Beckett there?"

"No. bro. she went to lunch with Lanie. You need to talk to her I'd call her cell."

"No it's cool. Hey what are you and Ryan doing."

"Nothing just pretending to work. No new body, so no new case."

"You guys want to go to the diner down the street from the precinct?"

"Can't bro. That's were Beckett went. How about the pub across the street from there?"

"Cool I'll be there in twenty."

Rick hailed a cab and headed to the pub. The ride took twenty-five minutes, and when the cab pulled up by the pub Castile handed the guy more then enough to cover the fair and walked in. The guys were already sitting at a table with beers and baskets of wings and cheese sticks. As he approached the table he saw a third beer waiting for him and he felt this overwhelming feeling of belonging. Like he was one of the team. This is where he felt comfortable. He took a seat.

"Hey Castle will you tell this fool that in a fight between Beckett and agent Shaw our girl would win." said Esposito.

"How can you say that for sure, Shaw's FBI. She might know some super secret ninja moves. She broke the Heat killer's nose." argued Ryan and they both looked at Castle for the deciding vote. Rick took a pull off his beer and looked at Ryan.

"I'm sorry to tell you this but Beckett would dominate Shaw." sounding anything but sorry. In fact he sounded down right proud.

"You only say that because you have the hot's for Beckett!" yelled Ryan holding out money.

"No. I say that because Kate Beckett is the only woman that told me she would kill me and not only did I believe her, I knew she would make it painful. She's just that good." Rick defended and Esposito nodded as he took the five dollar bill from Ryan.

Yes Rick felt like this is where he fit in. He always lived and worked with women his whole life and it wasn't until he started to work with the team that he saw how much he missed the guy talk. He would have to do something nice for the guys for making him feel like he fit in. maybe Knick's tickets, floor seats, for them and dates. When they finished up at the pub Esposito sent Ryan to go ahead of them and held Castle back. He turned and looked Rick in the eyes.

"You know that we feel like your one of us right?" Esposito asked in a serious tone.

"Yeah, you guy's have been great about not treating me like an outsider. Especially you and Ryan, and I'd like to think that I've been doing better to fit in." Rick said with a question in his voice.

"Yeah man you've been doing a lot better, hell the fact that you helped Beckett take down the killer yesterday is proof of that." Esposito said with some pride behind it.

"Then what's with the interrogation tactics?"

"It's just, well. You stayed at Beckett's place two nights ago, and then she stayed with you last night. Look I don't have any siblings, but Beckett is something like family to me and I want to know your intentions towards her." he replied.

"Well, I… well, look if I tell you something will you keep it to your self? You can't even tell Honey Milk." Esposito looked him in the eye again and nodded. "look I think Kate might be wife number three, and I think this one will last till death do us part. Even if it's her that kills me." he attempted to add a joke at the end.

"Good, that's what I was hoping you would say. I'm glad that's how you feel." Esposito looked relieved.

"What would you have done if I said I was just trying to get into her pants?" Asked Rick.

"I would have knocked you over the head with my gun and put you in my trunk. Taken you to a docks. I'd put two in your chest and dump you in the bay." Esposito replied in a obvious tone. He then laughed, Rick looked relieved and started to laugh too, but then Esposito stopped laughing. "If you ever hurt her I'll kill you." Rick stopped laughing, and swallowed audibly.

AN: I love that scene between Castle and Esposito. I always see him as a annoying younger brother, but that doesn't mean that he wont look out for her. Even if he thinks she could handle it herself. I also think that if Beckett ever asked, Ryan and Esposito would take someone down to the docks for a little "talk".


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: Not Mine!

Chapter 3

Kate's loss

Kate pulled up in her beat up dark blue crown vic. outside of Castle's building, and started to pull a box from the back seat when the doorman came over to her with a brass luggage cart.

"Let me help you with that Ma'am." he said with a smile.

"Yeah, okay. There's four more in the trunk." with that she popped the trunk and let him put the boxes on the cart.

"your staying in Mr. Castle's unit right?" asked Mike the doorman as they walked to the elevator.

"Yeah." she said feeling self-conscious.

"Mr. Castle is just the best ain't he?" Mike said with a big smile. They reach the fourth floor and he was pushing the cart towards 4A.

"Yeah?" she asked to see what he had to say about Castle.

"Yeah, my little girl got real sick two years ago and Mr. Castle paid for the best treatments and doctors. I'm forever in his debt. But he waved it off saying that if it was his kid and I had the money I would have done the same. He's the best." Mike was now helping her stack the boxes in the living room by the couch. "Well that's the last of them. If you ever need help just call down and ask for Mike." he took the cart and left.

Kate sat on the couch and started with the first box. It had stuff from her entertainment center. It had her DVD's and CD's. She would have to buy half of her collection again, but at least she had some of it. She pushed it aside and looked in the next box. It had things she kept in the locked filing cabinet in her living room. Well there was some truth in advertising, the cabinet was fire proof after all. The box was filled with files of important papers, and her photo albums. She felt relief wash over her when she saw the album that contained all of the pictures of her mother. She didn't know how much she treasured it until she thought it was gone.

The next box had stuff from her kitchen. The box was the heaviest by far as it held her mothers dishes, and silver. Some of the china was chipped, but for the most part it was undamaged. The next to the last box had stuff from her bathroom. It had her makeup bag and her tooth brush, and things like that. She found her bottle of perfume. She opened the lid and sprayed some on her neck and took a big breath. Cherries, it was her mom's favorite perfume, and Kate hated it when she was younger. But now it was the only one she could wear. It helped her get through the day. It was the other constant reminder of what she lost, but unlike her mother's ring it gave her strength. She was happy to see that her advanced copy of Heat Wave was in the box. She kept it in her bath room so she could read it in the bath.

The last box was the lightest of them all, it held the undamaged things from her bedroom. She knew that the second explosion came from her bedroom, and knew that almost everything in the room was burnt. But pulling the lid off the box and seeing the pitifully small amount of things that survived saddened her. The only thing it the box was the stuff she kept in her safe in her closet. Thing's like her jewelry, and her ready cash. She also found her three signed Storm books. Also her gun box. She flipped it open and saw her academy issue Berretta 92fs, and her back up silver Walter ppk/s that she took on her date with Mr. July fire fighter. She put the top back on the box, and then it hit her. Where were her books? More specifically where was her collection of Castle books? She pulled out her phone and called Lanie.

"Dr. Parish.""Lanie where are my books?" Kate asked with some panic in her voice.

"Oh god, no one told you?" Lanie sounded panicked too

"Told me what Lanie? What?" Kate was letting the panic turn to rage

"Oh man, all right are you sitting down?" Lanie asked in a calming voice.

"Lanie just spit it out!" yelled Kate. Just then Rick Castle bust through the door to his apartment, and looked around for the threat. Upon finding none he approached Kate sitting on the couch.

"The killer planted the first bomb in your living room behind your book case. There's nothing left Katie girl I'm sorry." said a distraught Lanie. Kate Beckett broke down crying. Castle was a few feet away from her when she started to cry, and he ran the last few feet, and enveloped her in a hug.

"What's wrong Kate?" he said with concern. She didn't reply she just kept crying. Rick saw the phone in her hand, and figuring that he would get more answers from the person on the other side of the connection took the phone from her hand. "hello?" he asked into the phone

"Castle it's Lanie." She sounded relieved

"Lanie, thank god! Can you tell me what's going on?" he sounded just as relieved.

"I just told her that she lost all her books in the fire." Sounding hurt.

"OH! is that all? I can get her replacements" Kate cried harder.

"It's not that simple. She lost all of her Storm books." she replied as if that explained it all.

"Is that it? I keep like a dozen first addition copies of all of my books I can hand them over right now." he was confused.

"No it's not that simple. She has a connection to those books, they helped her get over her mom's murder. They weren't just books to her they were her therapist, And her security blanket. You can't just replace them." said a sad Lanie.

"Yes I can. I'll talk to you later Lanie I have to help Kate." with that Rick hung up the phone, and set it on the table. He then looked at Kate, and pulled her closer. "Kate? Kate look at me. The books can be replaced." She wasn't paying attention to him she just looked away from him and mumbled "All gone" over and over again. He pushed her back into the couch, and knelt on the floor in front of her. He took her face in his hands, and looked straight into her eyes.

"Listen to me Kate. We can replace them. The books are all the same. They all have the same words in them. The connection you feel is to the words on the pages not the pages themselves." she seemed to think about his words. Then she nodded. "Good now lets go see if I have a set of the Store books in the closet in my office." he stood up, and took her hand in his. He pulled her in the direction of his office. He put her to sit in one of the big leather chairs in front of his desk, and crossed to the closet. He opened the door to reveal stacks of boxes. He move some of them out from the closet and sat in the chair next to Kate. He opened the first box to reveal three copies of the first eight books he wrote. He pulled a copy of Storm Rising out of the box, and held it up. "see I have copies of all my books. Now lets get a pen, and I'll sign them all for you." he said with his patented charming Castle smile. Kate mumbled something. and he asked her to repeat it.

"I said you don't have to sign Storm Fall, Winter Storm, and Flowers for Her Grave. I have signed copies of them." she blushed.

"I know I gave you the signed copy of Storm Fall, but how did you get the other two? I don't remember you at a book signing." he was curious now.

"I got the copy of Winter Storm from my father as a thank you for getting him sober, and well… I got the signed Flowers for Her Grave from my mom." she finished the last part of her explanation so soft that he thought he almost missed it.

"Well then you can just take a copy of those books unsigned, we don't want to replace the copies you have. They have too much meaning, and you know what this means right?" he asked playfully.

"What?"

"It means I got the chance to meet your mom. I hope I was nice to her. When did she get it signed I might remember." he asked hopeful.

"She said she got it signed at work, so that means Columbia university where she taught law." She also hoped he could remember the meeting.

"I think I remember the signing. It was December 1997, and I gave a guest lecture to the English students about plot outlining. That signing was special because it was never supposed to be a signing. I remembered I stuck around for awhile signing books because the students responded so well to my talk… do you have a picture of her from that year?" he asked, and she shot out of the chair and ran to the boxes in the living room. She came back moments later with a photo album. She took her seat and started to flip through pages when she stopped, and turned the album towards him. He saw a picture of Kate and her mom. He looked at the picture and then looked off into space trying to remember. Then his head shot up and he smiled. "Did your mom use to wear a red Channel suit with a white rose on the lapel?"

"Yes! She loved that suit!" she was excited now.

"I remember her. It was towards the end of the signing, and Alexis was giving the nanny backstage a hard time so she brought her out to sit with me. She was three at the time. Your Mom walked up to me, and handed me the book, and said I had a cute kid. In fact she seemed more interested in Alexis then me so I called her on it. I remember her saying something like "I don't like your books my daughter does." she also said something about me obviously not knowing about search warrants, or some such. I made friends with judge Markaway because of her. That was your mother hah?" he was shocked.

Kate was sitting in her seat with her mouth hanging open. "You met my mom?" she was shocked because that was almost a direct quote from her mother, and she knew she never told him about it.

"Yeah. She was quite rude if you ask me, but then again she was a law school teacher, and probably thought my books were short on the legal details." he shrugged.

"Yep, you definitely met my mother that was almost a direct quote from her. She used to ask me how I could read your books when they lacked any legal truth. Well that, and she thought you had no artistic talent. She used to call your books male adolescent fantasies, and she would always ask me how I could read such crap. I think her dislike of your books is one of the first reasons I started to read them. After she died I… well I guess I kind of got lost in them, your books I mean. I guess I like the fact that Storm always got his man. That, and the fact that it gave you insight into the killers head. I guess I needed to know why people killed. Why they took loved ones away from their families." She was getting choked up now so Rick stood up and moved to her. He picked her up out of the chair, and sat down pulling her into his lap so he could hold her close to his chest. He rocked her softly like he used to do with Alexis when she was little. Sitting her on his lap he felt just how light she was. He was right she had been letting herself go. The first order of business is going to get her to eat more. She needed to get more meat on her bones. How was she going to get into a fight with a suspect if she had no muscle mass. He didn't know how she had grappled with the Nikki Heat killer at all. Yes the first thing he was going to do was get her to eat like a normal person. Soon both of them fell asleep.


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: It's mine! Okay, maybe it's not mine! But I can play with it if I want to… I think?

Chapter 4

Dinner and a movie... Or four.

Three hours later Martha Rodger strolled through the front door singing show tunes, and dancing. She abruptly stopped when she saw no one home. She looked in the kitchen, and the living room, and found no one. She walked to her son's office, and found Richard and Kate still cuddled up on one of his over stuffed office chairs. She walked in to the room, and up to her son. She tapped him on the shoulder and said, "Richard, Richard get up it's almost five."

He slowly came to and looked down at Kate nestled in to his chest. He looked up at his mother confused. "It's almost five, Alexis will be home soon, and you haven't started dinner yet." she said. He looked more alert, and nodded. Martha left the room with a victorious little smile on her face.

Rick shifted slowly, and bent his head down to Kate's ear. "Kate it's time to get up. I have to start dinner." he said softly. She turned her face away from his chest and blinked. "Kate I have to go make dinner. I'm sorry to say you have to get off me " he said softly. She looked down, and figured out she was in his lap, and jumped up. Standing in front of Rick she blushed red, and mumbled an apology for falling asleep on him. "Trust me Kate if I didn't have to go cook dinner I would have sat in that chair with you all night, but I have to get in the kitchen. Why don't you come help me." he asked as he got out of the chair, and held out his hand to her. She shyly took it and he guided them to the kitchen. He started to take pots and pans out of cabinets looking for something.

"What are you looking for?" she asked confused.

"My wok. Today is Thursday so that means stir fry night. Ah ha! Found it." he pulled out a huge round pan. And set it on the cook top. "Now all we have to do is cut and peal the veggies, and cube up the meat." he started to put away the pots and pull out the vegetables.

"What can I do?" asked Kate.

"You can pull out the cutting board from under that counter, and get out some knifes from the block."

The two of them cut, and pealed for the next fifteen minutes. And just as they were cutting the last of the carrots, Alexis came in through the front door. She came around the counter and gave her dad a kiss on the cheek. "Hey dad, did you get all the trip plans finalized?"

"Yes. We are all good to go. We just have to pick up the tickets the day before we leave."

"Good." replied Alexis as she went around the counter to sit next to Kate after she gave her a hug. "So now all we have to do is pack. Are you going to need help packing dad?" she asked in a patronizing tone.

"No, I think I can handle packing my own bags. Now we have everything ready why don't you tell me what you want in your fry up, and then go get your grandmother?" he asked back in the same tone. Kate was laughing at them.

"Well I'll take chicken, and all the veggies you have and that black vinegar tie stuff." she walked up the stairs to her gram's room to find the woman in question talking on the phone. She knocked on the door frame and gave her gram a questioning look.

"I'm making an appointment at Cassandra's for a full spa treatment." said Martha

"well the food is ready so come on down." Alexis turned around to walk out but was stopped by her gram.

"Hold on. I have to tell you how I found your dad and Kate today when I came home." she said sing-songy with a big smile on her face.

"How did you find them?" Alexis asked in what she hoped was a nonchalant voice.

"Well when I came home they were asleep in one of the big overstuffed chairs in his office. Well he was sitting in the chair, and she was sitting in his lap. This whole getting them together might be easier then we thought. Now run along and tell them that I'm on the phone with Rose Charleston."

Alexis came down stairs and took her seat next to Kate. "Gram's coming but she's on the phone with Rose."

"Ah." was all Rick said as he went back to what he was cooking.

"Who's Rose?" asked Kate.

"She's one of Mother's old stage friends. She's just as dramatic as my mother." said Rick from the other side of the counter.

A minute later Martha came down and took a seat at the counter with an over the top sigh.

"Is there something wrong Martha?" asked Kate with concern. She was obviously not used to Martha's over the top way of life.

"Well I made an appointment for Cassandra's spa three weeks ago for Rose and I, and now she calls to cancel on me. I hate going to the spa by myself. It's just so uncomfortable, but I can't just cancel the appointment. There's a two week wait list for an appointment at Cassandra's. So now I have to go all by myself. Usually I would just take Alexis but she has school." said Martha in a melancholy voice. She even looked like she was going to cry.

"That's terrible, for your friend to leave you hanging like that. If it was my friend I would have threatened them with bodily harm." said Kate, thinking about Lanie, and the last time she had called Kate at the last minute to cancel on her.

Martha looked up at Kate and smiled. "Kate darling what are you doing tomorrow?"

"Nothing really." she said not understanding the change in topics but rolling with it.

"Well why don't you come with me. Cassandra's is the best spa in all of Manhattan." she asked in a pleading voice, and showed Kate just where Richard Castle got his puppy-dog eyes look from.

"I can't. It's too expensive." Kate was back pedaling from what she saw was a trap.

"Non-sense my son is picking up the tab, and he's loaded!" said Martha like it was obvious.

"But I'm already living here."

"That's right. You're living here that means your family. Right Richard?" Rick had walked in carrying two plates from the stove.

"What are we talking about?" he asked. He had lived and worked with these women long enough to know that he needed to get all the details before he made a decision.

"Rose pulled out on me for our spa visit, and I asked Kate to go in her place tomorrow. You know how I hate to go to the spa by myself. She said she couldn't because it was too expensive. Tell her she has to go." said Martha in an demanding manner.

"Well I hate to point this out but, Kate it's not that expensive, and you are living with us so you are family. If you don't want to go, because you just don't want to go that's okay. But you don't have to worry about cost." he said in a gentle tone. He knew that she had just had an emotional day. "I think you should go. It will help you to relax, and Kate you need to relax. Your all tensed up, and you were just in an explosion a few days ago. A day at a spa would help you heal up from that." he added in a helpful voice.

"There you go. So we are going to Cassandra's tomorrow. The appointment is at ten and we will get the full list of treatments. It will be great. We are going to spend all day sipping champagne and getting pampered." said hurricane Martha.

"Well okay I guess." said an unsure Kate.

"Okay, lets eat. Then what are we watching tonight pumpkin?" asked Rick.

"Well I was thinking that because there are three emotional women in the house, I figured that I would pick a few guy approved chick flicks. So tonight's choices are: Love Actually, Jerry Maguire, Something About Mary, and Better Off Dead. I have the ballots here, and as usual we will eat ice cream sundae's in the living room in front of the TV. We will watch as many of the films as we can before we all pass out." Said Alexis in a lecture voice.

"So you guys do this every Thursday?" asked Kate.

"Yep. I cook dinner and Alexis picks four movies. We pick which one goes first. Then we watch as many as we can until the last man standing. That person wakes the others up, and sends them to bed." said Rick.

After they finished dinner Rick took the plates to the sink, and Alexis handed out little slips of paper. On it were the four movie titles and a space next to it for a number. "How does this work" asked Kate.

"You put a number, 1- 4, next to the title of the movie. 1 being the one you most want to watch and 4 being the one you want to watch the least." Answered Alexis as she showed her slip to Kate. After they filled out there slips they each made a big bowl of ice cream, and sat on the couches in front of the entertainment center. Alexis stood up from her place next to Kate and went to the big TV cabinet. She opened the door and revealed a huge TV

"My god Castle how big is that thing?" asked a shocked Kate.

"65 inches. Hitachi. Plasma. 1080p. It is the God of all TV's." replied a smug Rick.

"My god. That thing must have cost as much as my whole apartment." mumbled Kate in awe of the behemoth of a TV.

"So by popular vote we are watching in this order: Love Actually, Jerry Maguire, Better Off Dead, and Something About Mary. So we start the first movie." She said with a dramatic flourish as she hits play. Everyone claps.

They watched the first movie, and everyone is still going strong. But during the second film Martha slowly drifts off in her recliner. Alexis was the next to go, she fell asleep on Kate's shoulder. This was a first for Kate. She never had someone use her as a pillow before. She had laid on someone before but she never let anyone close enough to lean on her, she liked it. Alexis was warm and when Kate moved a little Alexis shifted with her. Kate put her arm around Alexis' shoulder and ran her fingers through the girls orange hair absentmindedly. Rick noticed his daughter laying on Kate.

"Do you want me to take her up to her room? Are you uncomfortable?" he asked in a low voice.

"No it's fine. I think it's sweet that she is relaxed enough to sleep next to me. I've never been used as a pillow before, it's nice. Alexis is a great kid Castle."

"I know. I have no idea how she ended up like she did."

"Castle I don't think you give yourself enough credit when it comes to Alexis. You mentioned it before, but who raised her from diapers till now?" she asked in an encouraging voice.

"I did. The doctor cut the cord, and handed her to Meredith, and she handed her to me. She was never into raising a baby. I handled the late night feedings and the nappy changes." he said with a pride she only saw when he talked about his Baby girl as Lanie would say.

"What ever happened to your first marriage?" she asked. She wanted to know if he was the one that ended it she told her self, but the real reason she asked was to see if the tabloids were right in calling him a man-whore.

Rick got a far away look in his eyes. "It happened about six months after Alexis was born. Meredith cheated on me. I was up for a late night feeding when her co-star's car pulled up outside of our apartment building. They got out, and he walked her to the door. I remember thinking what a nice guy to walk her to the door, you know make sure she got in safe? Then he pushed her up against the door, and started kissing her. I was about to put Alexis down, and go help her when I saw the look in her eyes. It was the look she use to give me when we first started going out. It was a look of pure pleasure. I don't remember the exact wording of the conversation we had that night but I remember sitting on the couch with Alexis in my arms. I remember her telling me that it was good that I saw them so she wouldn't have to tell me. She asked for a divorce. I asked for Alexis, and she laughed in my face and said "Keep the little mutt I didn't want it in the first place" I cried for days. My life was over. I remember writing my first victim for Derrick Storm based on Meredith." he said with a smile.

"So the coked out whore of a TV star in Storm Rising was Meredith?" she was just as amused.

The movie ended and Rick hit the button to change DVD's and Better Off Dead started up. Kate's head dropped to Rick's shoulder around the time of the car rebuilding scene. Rick looked down at his watch, and saw it was almost midnight. He turned off the TV, and shifted Kate so that she would lay across the seat he just got out of. He tapped his mother on the shoulder. She awoke with a start.

"It's almost midnight mother. If you want to get a good start tomorrow then it's up to bed Mother for you." said Rick as he handed Martha out of her chair.

Rick turned to the couch and bent down to Pick up Alexis. The weight shift startled Kate out of her sleep.

"I'm the last one up so that means I get to schlep the sleeping ones up to bed. I'm just headed up to drop off Alexis on her bed. Why don't you follow me up so you don't go back to sleeping on the couch?" he asked as he turned to the stars carrying Alexis up to her room. Kate stumbled up behind him. Rick sat Alexis on her bed, and pulled back the Blanket. He tucked her in and turned to leave the room when he saw Kate standing in the door way watching him. He saw a look of caring in her eyes. He walked up to her, and took her hand. He led her out of the room, and walked her to the guest room. At the door he let go of her hand and turned to her.

"So, How did you like movie night?"

"it was fun Castle. I had a great time." she said with a small laugh.

"Good, that's the point. We've been doing movie night since Alexis was four."

Kate got a serious look on her face "I want to thank you for letting me into your movie night. Hell for letting me in to your home, and your…" she was at a loss of words.

"Family. The word your looking for is family. I'm happy to let you into my family Kate and my family is happy you're here. All of us." he said with that smug grin of his.

"I had a great night but I forgot to ask Alexis for something to sleep in. I should have went up with her to change before the movies." she said with a shrug.

"Then let me help you with that." he said in a voice full of deviousness. He took a step back and unbuttoned his blue shirt in record time. He shrugged out of it and handed it to her. She was having a hard time keeping her eyes off of his toned chest as she took the shirt from him with a mumbled "thanks". he bowed and said "Any thing for the fare Lady Beckett." He then drew close to her. Her pulse quickened and just before his lips made contact with hers he turned his head, and kissed her on the cheek. "Good night Kate. See you in the morning" he then walked off in the direction of his bedroom. She stood there in the hall for a few moments before her brain kicked back in. Her face scrunched up in a scowl as she walked in to her room and flopped onto the bed.

"I hate that man." she said to her self.

AN: rereading these chapters, I wonder how I got any readers in the first place. Thank you for putting up with the sad spelling, TBH


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I wish it was mine, if it was the last two episodes wouldn't have been made. But until that day comes it's not mine.

Fitting in

Chapter 5

The steam room and the Heat chamber

Kate breathed a sigh of relief as her three hundred pound German lady misuse named Helga rubbed the stress out of her back and neck.

"Don't be shy with her Helga. She needs all of your impressive skills to get back to right." said Martha, from the table sitting to the left of Kate's. "Helga is the best misuse here. I usually have her work me over every couple of weeks. She has magic hands. I took a fall on a patch of ice two years ago and was sore for weeks. She had me back up and dancing in one session."

"Yes she is good. I can't believe how good this feels. When I go with Lanie to her spa we never get massages this good." mumbled Kate. She was blown away by this place. When she got up this morning she thought she felt great. She had a good breakfast. She then, on Martha's orders, barrowed a pair of yoga pants and a pair of black Chucks. Then they, Kate and Martha, took a town car to the Spa. When they stripped off and put on fluffy white cotton robes Kate asked about the Lincoln, Martha said "it's my preferred mode of transportation darling."

"But I could have driven us." said Kate.

"Honey I've heard all about your "Car" from Richard. Now I say this from a place of love kiddo but I would never sit in your heap." said Martha with a comforting hand on Kate's arm as they made there way to the steam room.

"I will have you know that, that car still has some go in it. I made it to work last week in ten minutes. That was 37 blocks by the way. Besides, I like my car it says "'I'm a cop, cut me off, and you will get shot.'"

"I say you should let Richard buy you a new car. It's not like he's broke, or anything. He said something about a big FBI SUV."

"Yeah, he wants to get a SUV like Jordan Shaw." Kate said with disdain

"Do I detect a hint of jealousy, Detective?" asked Martha with a laugh.

"No! okay maybe a little. It's just that Castle was paying a lot of attention to Shaw, and her toys. For the last week all I got out of him was 'Oh did you see her murder board!' and 'Did you see that App with the finger prints'. and for god sakes what's with him knowing all about every case she ever worked. He was all like 'it was you that cracked the Boston ripper case.' I'm thankful the case is over, I don't know how much more I could take of that." Kate said in a huff.

"My god you really are jealous of this Shaw woman. It's actually kind of cute. You like my Richard!" Martha said triumphantly.

"I do not!" said Kate hotly.

"Oh yes you do. You don't get that kind of jealousy for someone you don't like. You can tell me. Go on, I know about these things."

"I do not like Richard Castle!"

"It's okay he loves you, you know?"

"no he doesn't he just wants to follow me around for his books. After he writes them he's gone." Said Kate dismissively.

"Really? How many books is he writing?" asked a smiling Martha.

"Well he's been contracted to write three more, so if he writes one a year it should be another three years until he's done."

"Is that what he told you?" Martha's smile turned into a Castle smirk.

"No, I just put it together from what he told me, but I know that he's only following me for the books." said a sad Kate.

"So he's writing his second Nikki Heat book now?"

"Yes, he said it's called Naked Heat, but I hope he changes the title."

"Huh? that's weird." Martha said sounding confused. Kate really didn't get the whole sitting with an actress part. This was too easy in Martha's opinion.

"What's weird?"

"It's just that when I last asked him what he was doing he said he was working on his sixth Heat book." said Martha flippantly.

"Sixth? Like in after five and before seven?" Kate's head was spinning.

"Yes. He said it was going to be the best one yet. It's called Federal Heat." Martha said excitedly.

Six? It was the only thought in Kate's head. He said he was writing two. What is he doing still following me around? Wait! Federal Heat? "You said the title was Federal Heat?" Kate asked in a scared voice.

"Why yes it's called Federal Heat. He said it's about a sexy FBI agent being called in to work a case with Heat and Rook, but ends up falling for Rook. He said she try's to hook Rook, but he loves Nikki and turns her down. He said it might be the book in which Rook proposes. Isn't that great? I can't wait to read it." Martha gushed, but she felt sorry for playing Kate like this. Rick did have five books done, and he was toying with the idea of Federal Heat, but the whole proposal bit she made up.

"he wrote Six books? What the hell is he doing following me around?" Kate almost yelled.

"Isn't it obvious, My Richard is smitten with you." said Martha kindly.

"My god Lanie was right. He really loves me. Wow, I… um. Wait Proposes!"

"Yes, it's great."

"I'm not ready to get married yet!"

Martha started to laugh at her shocked face. She scooted over to the younger woman and put her arm around her "lets not get ahead of ourselves yet. How about a date first?" they both laughed at that. Kate relaxed into Martha's embrace and sighed.

"I wish my mom was around to give me advice."

"Well I would never want to take the place of your mother but I would like very much to help you. I can see it in my Richard's eyes you're going to be a part of the family soon enough. So never hesitate to come to me for advice. Or just a motherly hug."

They left the steam room after that and headed for the massage room they were in now. Kate looked over to Martha with a questioning look.

"What is it Kiddo? You look like your trying to do long division in your head over there." said Martha flippantly.

"It's just, if Rick has five books written why is he putting them out so slowly?"

"that has a lot to do with his evil publisher and ex-wife number two Gina. If he stalls the release of the next two updates of Naked Heat it will look bad on her part and him being the famous writer that he is will get reasigned to a new publisher at Black Pawn. Once that happens he will release the updates faster. Making her look even worse. It's all in the plan."

"That's almost diabolical. What did she do to him?"

"She slutted her self out to all of her new authors. The worst part about it was Richard didn't even know. It took him getting crabs to find out that she was a slut. She then took him for ten million dollars in the divorce." said Martha angrily.

"Wow, she does deserve the whole demotion thing. What is it about Castle that makes his wifes cheat on him? He told me about Meredith."

"I don't know, but my Son has been through a lot of heart ache. He might play up the play boy image but he's anything but. Before he started shadowing you he was home for dinner every night, and he never brought women home with him."

"Why does he play up the Man-whore image?" kate was curious now.

"It was all his publicist's idea. It was deemed that the bad boy image helped sell books. That's another thing I think he's trying to change."

They spent the next three hours getting massaged, oiled, waxed, and dipped in mud. After that they headed to the salon attached to the spa. Their they got there hands and feet looked after. Martha even talked her in to cutting her hair short like it was when they first met. Afther that they ordered three steak and lobster meals from a steak house and took them back to the apartment.

They walked in laughing. Rick came out of his office to see what was going on. He saw two of his favorite ladies arms looped and singing show tones carrying shopping bags. "I see you ladies had fun today, and Kate you cut your hair. Very nice. I like it short it reminds me of the day we met. You were all sass and hot as hell. How was the rest of your spa day?"

"We had a lot of fun, but we also had a very informative talk." Kate said with a threth hanging in the air.

"What did you tell her Mother?" Rick asked fearfully.

"Oh, nothing big, I just told her you have five Nikki Heat books written." replied Martha flippantly as she pulled dishes out for there take out.

"Is it true Castle?" asked Kate as she walked into what he knew was striking distance.

"well um, I… I might have written more then just Heat Wave." Rick hedged. Looking panicked.

"How many is more?"

"Um, five?" he said with what he was hoping was an inocent smile plasterd on his face.

Kate hit him in the arm. "How could you write five books and not tell me?" she all but yelled at him.

"I didn't want to stop shadowing you so I said I was still writing book two." he said rubbing his arm whith a wounded look on his face.

"But how could you write four more books and not let me read them?" she said in a winy voice.

"I said I was… wait your not mad that I wrote five more books, your mad because I didn't let you read them?" he started to laugh. She hit him again.

"It's not funny. You said I'd get an advanced copy of the Nikki Heat books. I want my copy!" she looked like she was about to stomp her foot, and she gave him the cutest little pout.

"I promised you an advanced copy of Heat Wave. I said nothing about the next books." she looked like she was going to hit him again. "But I can give you a copy of the manuscript." he said fast holding up his hands in front of him as a shield.

"That's more like it. Now where are my books?" she asked expectantly.

"Well I guess I can loan you my second copy, but you have to promise not to tell anyone I wrote them. I don't know if my Mother told you about my plot to take down my evil ex-wife…"

"Yeah, she said you are stalling the updates to get reasigned to a new repersentitive." they sat down at the counter and started to enjoy the lunch they picked up at Rick's favorite steak house.

"Exactly, once I get reasighed. I will hand over the rest of Naked Heat the month after that. It will be out by August I hope."

"What are the other books about? I only know about Heat Wave." asked Kate.

"Well Naked Heat is losely based on the case we worked with the counselmen killed by his wife."

"You mean the case that you set up a date with a call girl for?" Kate did not sound happy about recalling that meeting.

"Yep, but I put a twist ending on it. Heat and Rook also hook up again, and then they fight. Nikki kicks him out of the precinct, and goes back to casual sex with her trainer. Then the next Book is called Dead Heat. It takes place six months after Naked Heat. In it a serial killer targets journalist and Heat, fearing for Rook's life keeps him close. I'm not telling you any thing more about that. The next book follows my storm titling system just in reverse. Instead of a book called Storm something, every third book I'm going to title in the heat series cold something. The fourth book is called A Cold Chill Runs Through Her. It's based on the frozen woman we found. Again Heat and Rook hook up but this time Rook demands a steady relationship, and Heat gives in. They work together to find the killer. The fifth book is called body Heat. It's based on the case where the two guys commit each other's murder. Heat also moves in with Rook.

The book I'm writing now is called Federal Heat…"

"Martha told me about that one. An FBI agent is called in to work with Heat and Rook."

"Yeah, her name is Dana Jordan. Heat hates her and Dana wants Rook."

"But Rook brushes her off right?" kate all of a sudden very interested in the plot of this story.

"Yes, Rook loves Heat. He would never cheat on her. In fact I'm toying with the idea of Rook asking Nikki to marry him. I think it would work, but since you are the insperation behind Nikki Heat. What do you think?"

"I don't know. Let me think about it?" she asked in a soft voice.

"Take all the time in the world, I'm not going anywhere… I mean I have time before I need to even think about writing the end of book five." he said in the same tone. "If your done we can head into my Heat chamber and look for the copies now?"

"Yeah, where are we going?"

"Just into my office, but ever sense I started to write the Heat books I've been calling it the Heat Chamber. I like the way it sounds, I might make that a title of a book. What do you think? Heat gets called in on a case where the victom was killed in a steam room. I like it." he said as he pulled out his small note book and wrote a few lines. He then turned to Kate. "So I think I owe you a bunch of stuff. I owe you a copy of the storm series, signed. And a copy of what I have of the Heat series." he said as he opened his closet and pulled out boxes. He took the same seat he sat in yesterday and started to pull out books and sign them. In each book he wrote little comments like: you would have solved this case way faster then storm did. Or you are way hotter then stormes girl friend in this book. Each book he wrote something different and he never repeated a sentence. In the end kate saw the little coments for what they where, love notes. It could have been so cheesy, but kate knew that each of them were genuine. She knew that he ment all of it, and she felt more confident and sexy then she did in a long time. She knew he that he saw her as pretty, and smart, and sassy. And as a byproduct of that she felt that way. When she walked out of Castle's office with the box of books she had an extra sway to her hips, and a little more bounce to her step. For the first time in a long time she felt powerful, and sexy. She thought she might be leaving his office with books but she was taking with her power. She locked herself in her room until dinner laying on her bed reading his inscritptions, thinking that maybe, just maybe she found a man that would not leave her for some bimbet with big boobs. She also thought about the way he asked her if Rook should propose. Maybe Kate found her One and done.

AN: I like the idea of him writing more then he lets on. There are scene's of him writhing all the time on the show, yet he only has one, maybe two Heat books completed. It just didn't add up to me. So answered that by having him write five books. In later chapters Martha thinks about this, and kind of explains his writing speed.

I started out with the idea for a 6, or 7 chapter story but I'm writing chapter 8 right now and I still have some big scenes to go over yet. So new projections for the story are 10, or 11 chapters. So yea! For those of you who like to read my trash, and booooo! For those of you that are just reading to get to the end.

I will say that the story is taking a different turn then I expected. The later chapters are getting heavy, and I like it. I never thought I could write stuff like this and I'm excited about it. I have chapters written but my beta is taking his time in getting then back to me. I love the fact that people are excited about new chapters coming out. So am I. To those of you that took the time to review, thank you very much. TBH.


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: Not Mine!

Fitting in

Chapter 6

Tears and Beers.

The Castle castle was all quiet that night. The only sounds that could be heard were the soft typing of key's coming from the Heat chamber where Castle was working on book six, and the sound of pages turning in the living room were Kate and Martha sat reading. Martha was looking through a fashion magazine and Kate was engrossed in Naked Heat. The peace was shattered by Alexis stumbling through the front door in tears. Kate being the closest to the door was up in a flash and hugging the sobbing teen with Martha following close behind.

"What's wrong? What happened?" Kate asked softly.

"Owen broke up with me!" she choke sobbed out. By this point Rick had joined the hug and had herded them to the couch.

"Oh, honey it's okay. I thought something horrible happened." said a relived Rick. But amended quickly when he saw the dirty looks he was getting from his Mother and Kate. "besides the horrible break up I mean. um, I'm just going to go in the kitchen and get you a soda now." he all but ran from the room.

"Was this your first break up?" asked Kate in what Castle called her "victim's family voice".

"Yes, I mean he was my first boy friend, we separated for like a week, but then we got back together, and I thought he was different, but all he wanted was sex!" she sobbed out. They heard a glass breaking in the kitchen.

"I'm good! I just dropped a glass!" called out Rick. The three women on the couch laughed.

"What happened tonight kiddo?" asked Martha.

"Well we were doing homework in his room. Then he asked about the trip we're going on. We were talking about how we were going to miss each other and then he said we should stock up on kisses to tide us over until we get back, then we were making out, and he tried to put his hand up my shirt…" there was another crash from the kitchen. This one sounded louder, with a lot of clanking of silver ware.

"I'm okay, but I think we need to put drawer stops on the silver ware drawer." yelled Rick.

"Well like I was saying he tried to get his hand up my top, but I told him no. then he got all mad at me he called me a tease and I asked him if all he was going out with me for was to get in my pants, and he said yes. I told him why didn't he just go out with Talley if he just wanted sex, and he said…" she started to cry harder Kate and Martha hugged her closer. "He said he did…" she sobbed out. She cried for another five minutes.

"Who's Talley?" asked Kate.

"She's this slut that said she knew him, and during our separation he said he had sex with her. He said the only reason he came back to me was because she moved back to L.A. oh, gram why does it hurt so bad?"

"You're a romantic like your dad and me. We always fall hard and it hurts when our hearts get broken honey. It will get better, but it will hurt for awhile. You are young you will find some one new, and it will be better. Because you will know what heart ache is, and love will feel even better. Just like when we took that ski trip. Do you remember how good sitting by that big fire place felt after you were out side in the snow? Love is just like that." Martha rubbed Alexis' back and hugged her closer.

Kate eyes were wet as she stood to go help Castle in the kitchen. Martha's words touched an opened hole in her heart. That was almost the same thing her mother used to say to her when she was heart broken over a boy. She walked over to the kitchen and looked up to find Castle sitting on one of the bar stools with tears in his eyes. When he saw her he tried to play it off, and wiped his face with his sleeve. "What are we making in here?" she asked letting him slide on the crying. The counter littered with vegetables and pots.

"I'm making Alexis' favorite comfort food. Chicken casserole. I've made it for her every time she's had a bad day. It's easy to make. Do you want to help me make it?" he asked.

"Yeah, I'll help. What's in it?"

"It's just chopped vegetables and cubed chicken in a cream sauce. Then you put it in the oven and bake it until it bubbles. I like to make egg noodles with it." he said as he chopped potatoes. Kate sat on the bar stool next to him and took a knife from the block. She kept looking at him while they worked but he just had this sad look in his eyes.

"It's her first break up Castle she'll get over it after a while."

"I know it's just I spent the last sixteen years fixing injuries, and kissing booboos. It's the fact that I can't fix this for her that hurts me. I can't just take away her pain, and make it all better. I hate seeing my baby hurt Kate, it tares me up." he said forlornly. Kate put her knife down and slung her arm around his shoulders, and leaned her head on his arm.

"Kate I want you to know that if you give me the chance to be with you I would never do that to you." he said softly as he looked at where his mother was holding Alexis.

"I know Rick. It's just that I've been there so many times before that I'm hesitant to let you in. I know you wouldn't hurt me intentionally, but I don't know how many more of those I can handle." she said just as softly as he pulled her into him.

"I'm willing to wait, I'm willing to go at your pace Kate. I'm willing to hold you if that's what you want, or give you space if you need it. Because I never intended to have two ex-wives. I was a one and done kind of guy too. Then Meredith walked out of my life, and I married Gina, I honestly don't remember why I fell in love with her, but that ended quick. Kate as much as you've been hurt I've been hurt too. You're the first woman I've met in a long time that made me feel love. Not just like, or lust, but love. I love you Kate, and if you need time then I'll be here waiting for you. Always." he turned to her and lifted her chin with his curled index finger. He looked deep into her green, brown eyes. He let the truth of his words show through his eyes as he leaned in and softly brushed his lips across hers. He then leaned in closer and whispered "Always" in to her ear.

He stood up and walked to the couch. "Mother I'm going for a walk, I'll be back in a little while." he then walked to the front door. He grabbed his coat, and he was gone. She looked over to the couch and saw Martha and Alexis looking back at her with smiles on their faces, Alexis was all red from crying but she was beaming at Kate. Kate stood on unsteady feet and walked over to the couch. She sat next to Alexis, she looked a lot better. When Kate sat down Alexis turned to her.

"Did you and dad just have a moment?" she asked in an excited voice.

"I think we did." she touched the place on her chin he did and smiled a little self-consciously. Alexis giggled.

"What did he say?" she asked softly, and Martha leaned in closer.

"He said he loved me." she whispered staring off into space.

"Oh My God!" Exclaimed Alexis. "This is great." she was excited.

"Yeah, I. he, said that he would go at my pace. I think I love him too. I'm so confused. And there's this rushing sound in my ears and, oh, god he said he loves me. Oh god what am I going to do." the two other women hugged her and she sat in stunned silence. "I think I need to talk to Lanie. I know you guys want to help me but I just need to get out of here and think. Rick had the right idea. The walls are closing in on me and I need out. Rick said he was making chicken casserole. It's mostly done you just have to…"

"I know honey just go. I'll handle it. You both let out some big truths tonight and a drink with a friend will do you good. Now out you go." said Martha as she helped Kate up and turned her in the drection of the front door.

By the time Kate's world slowed down she was sitting in her car. She thought about what she needed right now. She needed a drink, and a friend. She then thought about Rick. "Oh, you poor man. I'm getting advice from a girl friend, but he's got no one." then it hit her she patted her self down and found her phone in her Jean pocket. She flipped it out and called Esposito.

"Esposito" he said

"Are you still at the precinct?"

"Yeah."

"New case?"

"No just finishing up logging evidence."

"Good. Javier, I need you to do me a big favor. I think Castle just professed his love for me, and then rabited out of the apartment. I need you to find him, and talk to him. You know guy stuff. Take him to a bar and make him buy you drinks. I just don't want him to be alone right now."

"Got you boss. So my boy finally told you he loved you? Good, I'll find him, and talk to him. Just don't expect him to be returned to you sober."

"I would be dissapoited in you if he was, and that's an order."

"Yes ma'am."

She hung up on him and called Lanie.

"Dr. Parish"

"Lanie it's me Kate. I need to talk to you asap."

"What's wrong girl?"

"Well I'll tell you after you buy me a drink or four."

"You want to meet at, reamy's? it's Friday so ladies night."

"Yeah, I'll meet you there in fifteen."

"Good cause I'm just pulling up there now."

She hungup and drove to the bar.

Esposito called Castle.

"Castle"

"Yo, man. I just got a call from the boss. She said you confessed, and now your on the run. You want to hit a bar and talk about it?""Well I guess. I'm not sure if I'm on the run, but I needed out of the house."

"How about the Rabbits Foot?"

"I'm not in the mood to have some stripper's oily ass in my face. How about Tony's? I just want a drink."

"Yeah man that's cool. I'll be there in twenty." Esposito tried to keep the pride out of his voice.

Esposito agreed to take the man out for a good time but he was also treating this as a test. A man can say he's in love but the test is if he changes his ways. That was test number one. He stood up from his desk and grabbed his coat.

Kate walked in to the Bar and saw Lanie sitting at a table. She sat down next to Lanie and signaled the Waitress. The blond girl walked over and pulled out a pad. "What can I get you?"

"Dirty Vodka martini. And keep them coming until you cut me off. And she's paying." she said pointing at Lanie. The waitress walked away

"Damn girl, what happened." the waitress brought the drink and before she could put it down on the table Kate took it and downed it. She took the olive on the tooth pick out of the glass and handed the glass back to the blond. "okay start talking before I, cut you off!"

"Castle told me he loved me." Kate said.

"That's good right?" Lanie was confused.

"Yeah, it's great, but the way he said it has got me all messed up. He was serious and he looked me straight in the eye and flat out told me he would never leave me. He said that if I needed time that he would wait. And he kind of proposed. I think?."

"Proposed! I think you better start from the beginning." Lanie sounded confused.

"Well I guess it started with his dauther coming home after her boy friend broke her heart…"

Rick stepped out of the cab in front of Tony's. he paid the cabbie, walked in to the bar, and spotted Esposito sitting at the bar. He walked over and took the empty stool next to him. "So you have orders to get me drunk?" he asked.

"The boss's words were take him out and get him drunk. I am order to bring you home plastered. So you told her you loved her?"

"Yes, I was sitting there chopping potatoes next to her, and my daughter was crying in the background. The whole time I sat there I thought about how I never want to cause Kate that kind of pain, and I needed to tell her that. I know she's been hurt in the past, and I know that it's keeping her at arms length. I know she feels comfortable hiding behind her wall, and I know it scares her that I can read her so well." Esposito turned to him and handed him a shot and a beer.

"Man you've been hanging out with women too long. I don't know about all that feelings crap, but my boy just told the woman he was pining for that he loves her. As men we celabrate this by getting shit-faced. So, to getting your lady." He raised his shot and tossed it back. Rick followed his example.

"I have been hanging around women to long." he raised his beer. "To being a man." he took a big pull off his beer.

"And then he brushed this feathery light kiss on my lips, and came in real close, and he says 'Always'. my god Lanie it was so powerful that I didn't know what to do with myself. Lanie it might have been the most intament thing I've ever experienced. What do I do about this?" said an out a breth Kate.

"Well I would of ripped his clothes off, and had me some writer boy on the kitchen counter. That boy is good."

"Lanie be serious. I need to know what to do next."

"Like I said rip his… okay I know that look don't hit me. I think he told you what to do. He said he would let you call the shots. So your living in his house, start showing him some signs of retuning his feelings. Add little touches, here and there. Tell him you like him at least. You don't have to use the word love yet, but let him know that your thinking about it. And for god sakes kiss him. In fact kiss him the very next time you see him. The boy poured his heart out to you, and you just leave him hanging. Hell your lucky he knows you so well, or he might think your not interested at all. What the hell is your problem?" Lanie shook her head looking disappointed.

"it's just, I'm scared that this might be my one and done. What if I screw it up?"

"Easy, don't screw it up! My god, again what the hell is your problem? Do you want to be alone for the rest of your life?" Lanie was mad now.

"I've been hurt…" Kate said meekly.

"Get over it! Every woman over the age of twenty has been hurt in the past. You know how many times I've been cheated on? Three! And that was the ones who I caught. How about the bad break up's? Life is hard get a helmet. So you've been hurt. Everyones been hurt. Hell you said Castle's been hurt big time in the past, yet he put himself out there to be hurt. The least you can do is meet the boy half way, and on top of that he's putting no clock on this. Do you even know the risk he took in opening up like that?" Lanie us all but yelling at Kate now.

"I came to you for advice, not to be lectured." Kate shot back downing her drink.

"Girl you need to get your head checked. The man is famous, he's rich, he's hot, he's madly in love with you, and he told you that you can set the pace. What advice do you need? Sex positions? You know what? I feel sorry for the man. I hope he knows your crazy." Lanie took a sip of her cosmo.

"So, you think I'm blowing this whole thing out of proportion?"

"Yes! I'm telling you go home, and love the man back. God I wish I had a writer boy at home."

"yeah, I am lucky. I think I get it now. I think I'm going to have him take me on a few dates during the trip. I think it would be romantic if our first time was in Pairs."

"I think you need to get you some writer boy when you go home tonight, but that's just me."

"So you love Beckett? Are you sure? I mean if I was in your shoes I'd be hooking up with model chicks every night." said Esposito with a bit of a slur. He was not that drunk but he was playing it up to keep his plan going.

"Yeah, I mean she's just so… hot! That doesn't seem like the right word. She's I don't know? Beckett? She's sassy, and smart. I know she could keep me guessing for the rest of my life. But then I can read her like an open book. I see right through her. I see the lost little girl, the athletic girl with body issues. I see the woman that was used by people telling her she's pretty, then leaving her the second someone else came along. I see it all, and nothing at the same time." he added a drunk shrug at the end.

"I think she's alright. But she's not some great beauty. She's a bit on the flat side if you ask me. I like a girl with a little meat on her bones. Like Karpowski, or Dr. Parish."

"Hey! You don't talk about Kate that way! Besides that's all surface stuff. What about the deeper conection?" Esposito just shrugged. "I'm going to hit the can.I'll be right back." Rick got up on unsteady legs, and walked towards the bathrooms. Once he was out of sight Esposito looked around the bar for the last test. He spotted her standing with a group of friends. She was a tall red head. She looked Russan, and she was wearing a short red dress. He stood up and walked over to her.

"Hi my names Javier, and my friend's been looking at you all night. He's an author, and he's just professed his love for a woman that doesn't love him back. I was wondering if you might come over, and flirt with him a little bit. He's so down right now and the attention of a very pretty lady would do him a world of good."

"This is new, I've never been picked up by some one for their friend. You said he is an author did he write something I would have read?" she asked curiously, she had seen his friend sitting at the bar, and thought he looked good.

"His name is Richard Castle and…"

"Castle as in the Storm series?" she sounded excited now.

"One in the same."

"I'll gladly come over, and talk. I love his books."

"Good I'm going to head back to my seat. Just come over when you feel like it." he walked back to his Bar stool, and sat down just as Rick came out of the john. As soon as Rick took his seat the Hot girl walked over.

"Hi, my name is Reana, are you Richard Castle?"

"That's me. What can I do for you? By the way you look like a Bond girl you know." he said as he turned around.

"I'm a big fan. I just love this new Book Heat Wave. Are you writing any more?" she asked as she leaned in to him.

"Yes I'm working on a sequel to it now called Naked Heat. It should be out in August." He said in a friendly tone while trying to move back.

"Oh good. I love the new character Nikki Heat. She feels so real. How did you come up with her?" she asked as she put her hand on his shoulder, and rubbed his arm.

"I came up with the character from a real life detective. She smart, sassy, and sexy. I'm so glad that my fans like Nikki so much, because I'm going to write a lot of Heat books. Because you're a fan why don't I sign you an autograph and buy you a drink?" he asked with a smile.

"That would be great. I'd like to share a drink with you." she was really making him feel uncomfortable.

"Absolutly, as long as you take it back to your table over there. You're a lovely girl and under different circumstances I might take you up on your offer, but I found my 'One', and I'm not going to screw it up. I'm sorry." he said he called over the bar tender and orderd a round for the table of girls. He also asked for a pen. He wrote on a bar napkin, to: Reana, a bond girl looker. Richard Castle. He handed the napkin to her, and helped her carry the drinks to her table. He set the drinks down, and turnd to the four ladies at the table. "I hope you have a wonderful evening." he than walked back to his seat.

"Man how can you do that?" asked Esposito.

"What? Oh, you mean turn down a hot girl like that? Easy I know that I'm going home to the woman I love. It's that simple." he shrugged.

AN: this is the turn I was not expecting, but I like how it's going.


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: it's mine!… what do you mean it's not? Well that sucks. So it's not mine. **

**Chapter 7 **

**Martha's collection. **

**Lanie got out of the cab in front of Castle's building at a little after midnight, and waved over the doorman. She then went around to the other side of the cab and opened the door. Kate's head and right arm hung out of the car. Lanie turned to the doorman, and read his name tag. "Hi Chris. I'm Lanie, and this is Kate. She's living in Castle's place. You wouldn't mind taking her up there would you?" she asked with a slur, and a coy smile. As she talked she eyed Chris up and down. He was tall, she guess about 6' 4" and broad shouldered. He had coffee colored skin and a shaved head. He had a thin beard that out lined his square chin. He looked into the back seat, and nodded. He took off his suit coat, and handed it to Lanie. Revealing a crisp white shirt and a berretta in a brown leather shoulder holster. **

**Lanie eyed the coat "In case she gets sick." he said in a deep rumbling voice that had Lanie's heart fluttering. He reached in to the cab, and lifted out Kate with ease. He turned to Lanie and said "Pay the man, and come open the door please." she handed the cabbie money, and rushed to the door. He followed her in, and nodded to the other Doorman. "Heading up to Mr. Castle's unit." he walked over to the open elevator. "Mr. Castle lives on four." they rode the elevator in silence. When the doors glided open he walked to apartment 4A and looked at Lanie. She just stared back. "You going to knock?" he asked with a smile. Showing off perfect white teeth. Lanie smiled back, then figured out that he was talking to her. **

"**Oh! Yeah." she knocked, and the door opened a minute later to reveal Martha in a blue and orange kimono. **

"**Hello Mrs. R, I believe this lady lives here." he said with a smile. **

"**Hello Christopher! And I see you have Kate. Come on in you can drop her on the couch." she led them in to the apartment. Chris set Kate down on the couch and turned to Martha. **

"**I saw that Mr. Castle is signed out. Can we expect him to also need assistance in getting up to the apartment?" he asked with a big smile.**

"**I'm sure he will, so I'll see you soon." she replied with a laugh as she walked him to the door. Lanie followed them still in a daze. He turned to her and held out his hand. Lanie took it, and giggled a little. He looked down at her and laughed.**

"**I need my coat back please." he said with his megawatt smile. She turned dark red and handed it to him. **

"**Sorry." **

"**It's okay ma'am, it happens to the best of us." he walked out the door putting on his coat. **

**Martha looked at Lanie and smiled. "ah, young love. It's so cute. You must be Kate's friend Lanie. Hello darling, I'm Martha, Richard's mother. Would you like something to drink?" she asked as she moved into the kitchen. Lanie followed and sat on one of the bar stools. **

"**Yeah, a bottle of water, and every thing you know about that fine ass man please." she said with a laugh. **

"**That was Christopher. He works the door security at night. I take it you saw the gun. This is a secure building, and all of the doormen have a military background. I think Christopher was a Marine." she said as she handed over the bottle of water, and they moved to the couch. "He's in his early thirties, unmarried, and very respectful. He has a small apartment in the building on the first floor like the rest of the doormen. He lives with his little sister Maggie. She attends NYU. He's a sweet man, always looking out for Alexis and I." she took Kate's shoes off and propped her head up on a pillow. She sat next to Kate's head and ran her fingers through Kate's hair. **

"**Wow, you know a lot about the man." replied Lanie. **

"**I know everyone, it's who I am. Now tell me about yourself." she said with a laugh.**

"**Well my name is Lanie Parish, and I work as a medical examiner. I got my MD from NYU. I live four blocks from where Kate used to live and until recently we used to car pool to work some days…" they talked for a long time until the phone rang. Martha picked it up.**

"**Hello?" **

"**Good evening Mrs. R. a cab just pulled up out front, and MR. Castle will be up shortly."**

"**Thank you Timothy. Again you boys go above and beyond for us." she said with a laugh.**

"**Happy to help Mrs. R. have a good night." **

**A yellow cab pulled up out side of Castles apartment building, and Esposito got out. Chris was already helping Rick out of the other side. He turned to Esposito. "I have it from here sir. I was told to expect Mr. Castle in this state by his Mother." he said as he slung his arm around Rick's shoulder and helped him through the door. **

"**Cool, thanks man, tell Mrs. R that Esposito took him out for some guy time. He needed it." he said as he got back into the cab.**

"**Will do sir." replied Chris as he all but carried Rick into the building 'Weekend at Bernie's' style. Rick turned the him. **

"**Chris, I'm not that drunk. You don't have to walk me all the way up." he then wobbled a little in his steps.**

"**I don't mind, besides what will I tell Mrs. R if you fall, and hurt yourself?" **

"**I see your point Chris. So how's life?" He asked in the typical Castle charm.**

"**I'm doing good Mr. Castle. Maggie just pulled straight A's in all of her pre-med classes again." Replied Chris with pride.**

"**Good, that's the fourth semester in a row. I guess I owe her a BMW now." he said with a laugh. **

"**No you don't." **

"**Yes I do! I told her that if she got all A's in the first four semesters I'd by her a car. You know I keep my word, so you tell her to get me a list, and I'll surprise her." **

"**Thank you Mr. Castle, but don't you think you spoil her?" said Chris in a exasperated tone. **

"**A deals a deal. Besides, she's earned it. Pre-med is hard. You know Maggie should Meet Kate's friend Lanie. She went to NYU for her MD." **

"**I think I've had the pleasure of meeting Lanie earlier this evening." he said with a laugh. Chris knocked on the door and Martha opened it. "I think this one belongs to you also? He was dropped off by a guy named Esposito, he said something about guy time?" **

"**You know you should charge for delivery Christopher, you'd make a fortune." She said with a laugh. As Chris walked Rick to the couch and sat him down next to where Kate was sleeping. Rick curled up next to Kate and buried his nose in her hair. He mumbled "umm cherries" and was asleep in seconds. He saw Lanie sitting in an arm chair half asleep. He nodded to her and smiled. **

"**All in a night's work. You Have a good night Mrs. R." he said as he walked out of the apartment. Martha turned to Lanie. She was half asleep and more then a little drunk. **

"**Why don't you take Kate's room for the night. It's not right for a lady to be roaming the streets at this hour." **

"**No I'm good I can make it home. I'll just have that hot ass man down stairs call me a cab." she said as she tried to get out of the chair but couldn't. **

"**Nonsense" she said as she help the younger woman out of the chair and up the stairs. "Besides we have a huge shopping trip tomorrow. We need to rebuild Kate's wardrobe in one day. I already stole Richard's Black card. We are going to have fun tomorrow." she helped Lanie to the bed. **

"**Thanks' Mother." she said before she passed out. Martha shook her head at the slip of the tong as she walked out of the room. **

"**I woke up this morning with one son, and I go to bed with a son and two daughters. We seem to be collecting family members." she said with a shrugged. She climbed into bed and turned out the lights. Thinking about the kids. Rick told the woman he loves that he loves her. And Kate, that girl is a breath of fresh air. She was the reason Rick was smiling more, and he was writing. **

**God was he writing. She had never seen him this excited about writing. When he came up with Storm Rising it was all about putting food on the table for Alexis and him. The next three books were written because they made him a deal. Three books for two million dollars. After that he was producing two Storm books a year. And the pay check kept getting bigger, but his heart just wasn't in it. They were great works of literature, but to write them took everything out of him. It wasn't until he wrote his tenth Storm book, and he had a big bank account that he took more time to write the next one. After that book the rest of the series was phenomenal. But then he got bored again. He killed his cash cow and he had nothing.**

**Then Kate walked into that book party, and hulled him in for questioning. Since he came home that night he had that spark in his eyes again. The last time she saw that spark was the day Alexis was born. And boy was she his opposite. She was serious and confident. She looked at him, and told him no. she was the first woman to do that to him in a long time. She was also a good role model for Alexis. She was a strong, independent woman, dominating in a mans world. It made Martha proud that she still kept her femininity too. Martha saw some of those women cops. They looked like they enjoyed a good strip club. She was always proud of her son, but she always wanted a daughter, and she just knew that if she did. She would want her to be like Kate. Yes she had some emotional baggage, but she held it together. That was strength. **

**Then there was the free spirit she found in Lanie Parish. That girl just loved life. She said that she worked all day with death, so when she went home she needed to feel alive. But that lead to a string of one nighters. She would do all in her power to get her together with Christopher. He was a good man, and she could see it in the way she talked, that Lanie was growing tired of one nighters. Martha rolled over and drifted off to sleep thinking about her girls. They maybe in there thirties but they needed a mother. And Martha would provide them with one. **

**AN: this is one of my favorite chapters. It started out as a few paragraphs tacked on to the last chapter, but it didn't fit right. I was going to toss it out but then the idea of Martha, being a good parent hit me. I was watching "tic tic tic…" and Boom" and I saw that Alexis was really sad at the loss of her wisdom. It made me take another look at Martha. You she's out there, but she's everyone's sounding board on the show. So I gave her a chapter. I also like the way I sealed up some of the plot holes I left in the last few chapters. **

**Now on to another topic. It was brought to my attention that Alexis' heart break was gotten over too fast. I say nay! I see her character wise beyond her years, and I think a big part of her, the rational side knew she was over the break up by the time she walked through the door. The 16 year old side needed to cry on her grandma. I also see the night playing out like she continued to cry after we leave the apartment. All that said I think I did a good job seeing as I've never been a 16 year old girl. New projection this thing, it may go 15 chapters. It's slowly morphing into something bigger then I expected. It started off as a bridge and now it's changed what's coming up in the next story. I hope you like where it's going. More chapters soon, stay tuned. **


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: Not mine!

Chapter 8

You don't have to say it.

Kate Beckett stirred in her sleep at the smell of coffee. She breathed in and sighed contentedly. She was warm and comfortable. She hadn't felt this way in a long time. Then three things hit her all at once. 1. There was a man's body spooned up behind her. 2. He had his left arm around her, and his hand was cupping her right breast. And 3. Someone was trying to hold in a giggle , and was failing miserably. She cracked an eye, and looked around her, she was on Castle's couch. She peaked down at the arm, and saw his titanium Rolex. So it was Castle that was copping a feel. She then looked over to where the giggling was coming from, and sighed. Sitting on the other couch was Martha, Alexis, and Lanie. She closed her eyes shut tight then opened it again hoping to get a different result. But she saw the three stooges sisters. She sighed and tucked her self in tighter to Rick. If she was caught, and they were going to make fun of her she might as well enjoy it while it lasted. She felt Rick tighten his grip around her middle, and shyly removing his hand from her boob. He took a deep breath and sighed.

"There watching us aren't they?" he asked in a soft whisper that sent shivers up her spine.

"yep, and their laughing." she said in the same tone. He brushed her hair aside with his nose and kissed her on the back of the neck.

"You smell good. Like cherries, and something else. It's sexy. I like it." he looked behind him and saw the three on the other couch. They didn't even bother to control their giggling. He looked at them with a raised eyebrow. "I accept the giggling from Alexis, and my Mother. She sixteen, and my mother think's she's sixteen. But I expected more from you Dr. Parish. Very unprofessional." he said with a sigh. He turned back to Kate who turned around to look at him. He looked into her marbled green and brown eyes. She looked apprehensive. He plastered a big smile on his face. "Good morning beautiful." he said as he brushed his lips softly across hers.

"Morning." she still looked apprehensive. He sighed.

"Ladies if you wouldn't mind waiting for us in the kitchen I would be forever in your debt." they protested but Alexis dragged the other two out. He looked at Kate again and saw some of the apprehension leave, but not all of it. "Kate you set the pace if the kisses were too much too soon you tell me and they stop right now until you say otherwise. I, I love you Kate, and if it's too soon, just say." she didn't reply she just stared at him. Uncertainty written all over her face.

"Kate I know you don't love easy, but… I need you to know that, well I need you to know that I've found my inspiration for a lot more then books when I met you. You inspire me to be, I don't know? More? …You know this is a lot easier when I write about this stuff. God I just can't explain it to you Kate. You mean the world to me…" he got no further than that because she grabbed the back of his head and kissed him with all of the emotions she kept bottled up ever since she talked to him in that interrogation room that first night.

God she thought back to that night. When he told her she could spank him. She was inches away from ripping his clothes off. It was still one of her day dream musings. But the reality was so much better. God he knew how to kiss, and the way his arms slipped around her to hold her head in one and the small of her back in the other. They both broke away from the kiss at the same time when air became an issue. As she gasped for breath he hugged her body close to him. It was like he knew that opening up like this scared her and he knew she needed all the reassurance she could get.

"Kate I love you so much." he mumbled into her neck.

"I know Rick, I love…" she trailed off as the tears started to form in her eyes.

"I know Kate. I know you can't say it. But I'm not your mother, I'll be here always. I'm not going to be taken from you. You need to know that. I know you love me. I know your afraid to say it, because your afraid that if you say it I'll be taken from you. I love you Kate, and you don't need to say it because I know you love me. I know it." he pulled back and stared into her eyes. Willing the message through to her. He then leaned in and kissed her. It wasn't the heated, lusty passion she kissed him with. It was soft, and caring. It was three promises to her. 1. She would always have his heart. 2. She would always have a safe place to hide in his embrace. And 3. He was not going to leave her. The word he said last night came back to her, Always, she new he was her one and done. Now they just needed to get used to having someone in there life again.

"I love you Rick." she whispered it, but he heard it. He smiled and kissed her again. He then remembered that they probably had an audience. He broke the kiss and held Kate to his chest. He then looked in the direction of the kitchen to see the three ladies in tears, but they had big smiles on there faces. He made eye contact with Alexis, asking for acceptance. She held up two thumbs and nodded. He felt a weight lift off of his shoulders he didn't know was even there. He looked down at Kate.

"Do you want to get something to eat?" he asked softly. "You guys have a big day ahead of you. You might need the energy." he said with a smile.

"I guess. I just don't want to face the 'I told you so' looks from Lanie and Martha." she laughed.

"we'll face them together." he said as he took her hand and stood up. As they turned to the kitchen the three ladies making breakfast all applauded. Rick whispered "follow my lead" he then bowed and Kate saw what he was doing bowed too. "I hope you enjoyed the performance we'll be here till Sunday. Try the veal, and don't forget to tip your waitress!" the three ladies laughed and clapped. Rick led Kate to the bar stools and helped her sit down. His mother set a cup of tea, and two Aleve in front of each of them. Rick downed the pills and sipped his tea. He made a face and put the cup down.

"What's wrong with the tea? It taste's good to me." Kate said as she took a sip and savored the mint flavor.

"It's mint. The only place mint belongs is in tooth paste, Altoids, and Andes candies. The rest of it is an abomination!" he said in an over the top way proving that Martha was really his mother.

"I like the tea." Kate said as she raised her tea cup to Martha.

"Thank you dear. I've been trying to get him to drink it for years. Its the best hangover cure in the world. Trust me I've had most of them." she said with a flourish. She then turned to her two sue chefs. Who where chopping green peppers and onions wearing goggles. "How's the omelet toppings coming girls?"

"Almost done Gram."

"Your pretty good with that chef's knife Lanie." Rick observed.

"Well I should hope so. I use one of these at work, in fact you would be surprised at how many kitchen tools you find in the morgue. I remember the first time I stepped into the morgue. I saw all the kitchen tools and what there used for. I went home that night and tossed out my ladle, and my ice cream scooper." She shivered.

"What do you use a ladle for in a morgue?" asked Alexis.

"Trust me girl, you don't want to know." Said Lanie as she shook her head.

"You use kitchen tools in the morgue? Well that just confirmed my decision. As soon as you ladies leave I'm going to the mayors office and doubling my donation." he said with conviction.

"What donation? Castle what did you do?" Asked Kate.

"Nothing, it's just, I saw how much could get done with a few new toys and I worked out a deal with the mayor to install some in the 12th. Now I think I'm going to add some new supplies for the morgue too." he said with a smile

"There better not be a hi-tech murder board in this package. I prefer my white board." Said Kate with a clear threat in her voice.

"There won't be now." He said hoping to placate her with a smile. "it's mostly new computers, and some of those new improved bullet proof vests. Now I'm going to add some stuff to the morgue. I don't like to think about the fact that Lanie's using kitchen tool. Some of our cases rely heavily on the work she does. The fact that she's not even using surgical tool speaks to the quality of her work. But how much more information could you give us if you had the right tools?" He asked Lanie.

"Probably a lot more. So how much are you giving." she asked jokingly.

"Well since we're not installing those tech boards any more. Two and a half million should go a long way." he replied. Kate choked on her tea and Lanie's eyes got real big.

"Did you say Million?" Asked Lanie.

"Yep. It was going to be a stretch because the hi-tech boards cost so much, but if Kate doesn't want them we can take some of the cash saved and move it to the Morgue. In fact why don't you write a list and talk to the other ME's, and see what they think you guy's need. When you get the final list together just fax it to the mayor's office. I'll tell him to expect it." he said it like it was nothing to keep the Mayor waiting. Then it hit Kate, for Rick it wasn't a big deal.

"Just how much money do you have Castle?" asked Lanie.

"I don't have an exact number but, 150 Million? Around there. So don't hesitate today when you use my black card that Mother took. And if they give you a hard time about it. Use Alexis' platinum card. I want you Ladies to have a good time today." the atmosphere around the kitchen was tense after his admission. Alexis broke the silence.

"What are you going to do all day while we're out shopping dad?"

"I have to make a stop at the Mayor's office. Then I have to go pick up all of our tickets and information package for our trip from the travel agent. Next I thought I'd stop by the precinct and see how the guy's are doing. I also wanted to drop off the welcome present I got for Shaw. She starts today. Then last but not least I have to go car shopping. Maggie got all A's again." he said that last part with pride.

"What did you get Shaw?" Asked Kate. She tried to sound flippant, but failed miserably.

"It came yesterday. I had it specially made." he said as he walked into his office and came out with a brown shopping bag. He pulled out a bulletproof vest that had the word "Civilian" across the front. He showed it to Kate. "What do you think? It's kind of funny because she's taking over my spot on the team. So I figured she can't go around in the FBI vest. She's a Civilian, so it's like my "Writer" vest." he said with a laugh.

"I think it's both funny, and thoughtful." said Kate after seeing the vest.

"Yeah, one of the main reasons I'm going in today is to take the team out for lunch at the pub on the corner. You know, kind of a get to know the new team member get together. I want the guys to treat her like they do me. She willingly took my spot on the team instead of taking time off. I know a big part of it is she's a workaholic like Kate here," she smacked him in the arm for that. "But it was still nice of her."

"Look at how thoughtful my dad is. It's like he's a grown up, and everything." Said Alexis.

"You get that sharp sarcasm from your grandmother, I want you to know." he said in a huff. She stuck her tongue out at him and he returned the favor.

"Now children lets not fight. We need to eat so we can all get dressed. The limo will be here in an hour and a half. We also need to stop at Lanie's place so she can change. Then it's off to Kate's favorite Store. After that we need to hit shoe stores, and a luggage shop…"

"Actually you guys can skip the luggage shop. I ordered a set of matching channel luggage like Alexis' but in red. It should be delivered today."

"We still have a lot to do. Kate needs the whole nine yards, and we only have today. Thank god we called ahead and had the stores closed. Oh Kate dear I did your laundry yesterday night so you have clothes for today. Not that it matters your going to spend most of the day in a dressing room trying on other stuff, but it's something." she shrugged as she flipped out an omelet on to a plate and handed it to Kate.

What followed was a study in organized insanity. After they ate everyone took showers and got dressed. The house was empty by ten.

AN: I'm sorry it took so long for this to come out. My computer is broken. It works some times and it acts up like a troubled child on crack. I lost chapter 11 & 12 so they have to be redone. It my be a few days for 9 to be put up. Because of the re-write I have actually put a new twist in to the story. It my get taken out before the end I'm going to run it by a friend to see what they think. Until next time. TBH


	9. Chapter 9

Disclaimer: Not mine!

Chapter 9

Shopping and fun.

The black limo pulled up in front of Lyn & Steve's. It didn't look like much from the outside. In fact if your weren't looking for it you might miss it. The building looked like any other warehouse on the street. It had a small sign above the door, but other then that it looked like nothing. Then they walked in. It was huge inside. The whole place looked like a department store, there was a section for undergarments, and a section for jackets. There was a wall just dedicated to jeans. And a section for what looked like club wear. Seeing that section Kate shuddered and thought back to Castle's option to shop for her. She knew that 90% of his purchases would have come from that section. Kate walked over to the register, and a smiling, brown haired, blue eyed lady in her fifties ran around the counter and hugged her.

"I'm so glad your okay. That nice man Richard came in to tell me about your clothes. I started a rack for you, it has some of your favorites. I pulled down some tops and jeans. I also pulled some undergarments, and three suits." she said in a rush as she led them to a rolling rack in the middle of the store.

"Slow down Lyn. Lyn these are my friends, you know Lanie, this is Alexis, and her grandmother Martha. Guys meet Lyn." she said with a laugh. She looked over the rack and nodded. "This trip might be quicker then we thought, this is about half of what I lost." she said as she pulled a soft, brown leather motorcycle jacket off the rack and put it on over her black t-shirt. She zipped it up, and rolled her shoulders. She nodded, and turned to the other ladies. It was like looking at another person. For the first time in days she looked confident. Even her lips twitched up in a small smile. They say the clothes make the man, but when Kate put on the jacket she showed the first signs of being 'Detective Beckett' in days. She walked over to the racks of tops and pulled out a red long sleeve shirt and held it up. She nodded. She looked at the other women. "Well go find something. We don't got all day." she then continued to where the coats were. The other women looked at each other an shrugged. They then spread out and started to find things.

Rick walked in to the mayor's office, and took a seat in front of his desk. The Mayor looked up from his phone call and nodded. "Maybe you should think on that for another day, and call me back when you have an exact number. We need that park rehabbed but not if it breaks the budget. That's right no more than a million. Good. See you tomorrow." he hung up the phone and looked at Rick. "You wouldn't happen to have another million laying around to spend on a park would you?" he asked with a laugh.

"I would if you named it after my daughter." Rick replied. "It's good to see you again Bob. How's life treating you?"

"The city is almost broke, I have to cut funding for all kinds of stuff, and on top of that I'm tired because my wife made me sleep on the couch for forgetting her birthday. Aside for that I'm good. How about you?"

"I'm good. I just came by to tell you that we have to cross off the high-tech screens for the 12th precinct. They don't want them. So instead I want to move the funds left over to the morgue to buy new equipment. Did you know that they have to use kitchen utensils because they can't afford supplies. It's a wonder we get any evidence from them at all." he said shaking his head.

"That's just wrong Castle. I didn't need to know that. But that should be fine. Those boards were expensive. Just have them fax over a list of stuff they need."

"That's what I thought. And hey are we on for the Yankees game when I get back? I've got a box, you should bring your wife. She can hang around with Kate and my mother."

"That should get me back in her good graces. So you hooked Nikki Heat? Congrats man. Is it long term, or a fling?"

"I'm hoping she's wife number three." he said with a smile.

"Good for you Rick."

"Yeah, I'm ecstatic. Now I need to make one more stop before lunch so I have to go, but remember the game when I get back. And tell your wife I said hi." they both stood up and shook hands.

"There is no way in hell I'm wearing that!" yelled Kate as Lanie tried to hand her a red leather corset over the door to the dressing room.

"Come on, where's your sense of adventure? It'll make Writer Boy happy." she said shaking the garment.

"No, and Lanie that's my final answer. Now what's next?" the corset was replaced with a red strapless knee length dress. "Now that's what I'm talking about. Who picked this one?" she asked as she stepped in to the dress.

"It was mine Kate." called out Alexis.

"That girl's got taste. It's perfect." Kate said as she looked at her self in the mirror. It hugged her body tight, and it made her boobs look bigger. Which for someone with barely a B cup was a plus. "Next!" she called out as she slipped out of the dress. She handed it over the door and Lanie, who was playing the part of the doorman, took it and handed her a pair of black jeans and a red wool sweater. She took them and put them on. "Great! Who picked it?" She said as she looked at her butt in the jeans.

"That was me again Kate, isn't the sweater just so soft?" said Alexis as she looked through racks of button down shirts.

"Yes. It is soft. You should get one for yourself." Kate said as she took the sweater off.

"No, that's okay, I'll just steel yours when I want to wear it." Alexis called out. Kate laughed.

"Okay next!" she traded the jeans and sweater for a maroon sweater dress. "Who's pick?" she asked as she put it on and looked it over.

"Mine kiddo! It should make you look more curvy." said Martha.

"It does. I like it. Next!" she traded for a pair of gray slacks, and a dark green button down shirt. "I love the color. Who's pick?" she called out as she buttoned up the shirt.

"Mine Kate, I have one just like it. It should bring out the color in your eye's" called out Alexis.

"That girl is gold I tell you. Next!" she handed over the shirt and pants, and a floor length green silk nightie was tossed over. Kate took one look at it and blushed bright red. "Who!" she yelled.

"Me girl. You need some sexy in your wardrobe!" called Lanie.

"Fine!" said Kate like a little kid who was told they had to eat there vegetables. She flipped it over her head and let the cool material pool down her body as it fell into place. She took one look in the mirror, and decided that she needed one in black, and one in red too. She reached behind her and unhooked her bra and slipped it off letting the cool material brush her sensitive nipples. She shivered, and turned away from the mirror, looking at her but over her shoulder. She thought about what Rick's reaction would be if she walked in to his room in nothing but this. She shivered again. She slipped out of the silk gown and put her bra back on. She opened the door a little and grabbed Lanie by the arm and pulled her closer. "Lanie I need a couple more of these in different colors but keep them off to the side. I don't want Alexis to see them." she whispered to her friend.

"Why? She helped me pick the color." said Lanie. Kate blushed red, and Lanie laughed. Alexis walked up with a bunch of tops.

"Hay what did you think of the Green silk night gown? Hot right? I think you should get it in red too." she said enthusiastically.

"Um… shouldn't it be weird to help me pick out sexy stuff I'm going to use on your dad?" asked a blushing Kate.

"I'm almost seventeen Kate I know what sex is, and from the way dad was copping a feel this morning, I know that you and my dad are going to be having it a lot in the near future. It would be weird if I offered you tips, and tricks for the bedroom. In fact you don't have to worry about being affectionate in front of me. Just don't get too hot and heavy with me in the same room." she said with a laugh. "Now what did you think about the red leather corset?" she asked innocently.

A cab pulled up outside of the 12th precinct. Rick Castle stepped out carrying a brown shopping bag. He checked in at the front desk and road the elevator up to the fourth floor and stepped out in to the bullpen. He spotted Esposito and Ryan sitting at there desks tossing a bean bag back and forth. He saw Captain Montgomery sitting at Kate's desk talking on the phone. Last but not least he saw FBI agent Jordan Shaw sitting in his chair working on what looked like a crossword puzzle. He approached Shaw and stood next to her leaning over her shoulder to look at the crossword. She looked up at him and cocked an eyebrow. "Can I help you Castle?"

"No, I come bearing gifts for the new guy on the team. Since you're a civilian now, and sitting in my space on the team, I thought I would like to present to you a civilian survival kit." he said with a flourish as he held the brown shopping bag.

"Okay Castle lets see what you got." she asked as she put her crossword down on the desk. By this point the team had gathered around to see as well.

"Well first of all you're a civilian in a room full of cops and you forgot to bring the customary cop peace offering." he reached in to the bag and pulled out a box of doughnut holes. He put them down on the desk, and smiled. "Doughnuts!" she watched as Esposito and Ryan attacked the box and nodded.

"I see what you mean Castle. What else have you got?"

"well the next thing I got you is for your protection. Since your not an agent right now you don't have your FBI issue vest so I had this one made." he pulled out the Civilian vest and held it up. Ryan was the first to see it and burst into uncontrolled laughter. Esposito followed his partner after he saw what he was looking at. Castle handed the vest to Shaw, and she took it gently from his hands. She looked it over, and saw that it was a high quality vest. In fact it was better then her standard issue vest.

"Thank you Rick, that was really nice of you." she said shyly.

"And last but not least I got you a can of good pepper spray. The kind that burns for a long time." He handed over the can and she laughed at it.

"Rick I appreciate the sentiment but I can handle myself just fine."

"Yeah but you don't have a gun…" he trailed off as she moved her suet coat to the side to reveal a Glock 23 strapped to her hip.

"I have a concealed carry permit for an off duty weapon. But I think it's sweet that you were so thoughtful." she stood up, and hugged him. He felt her tremble. She wasn't crying but he knew that she was holding something in. The way she gripped him a little too tightly was a big warning sign. Rick Castle spent his whole life around women, and because of that he had some insight in to women. He knew from experience that she was holding something in, and she desperately needed to let it out. He rubbed her back like he did for his daughter so many times in the past, and squeezed a little harder. He looked over her shoulder to Esposito, and directed him to the break room with his eyes. It spoke to the unity of the team that Esposito knew what he meant, and walked to the room to wait for Rick. Rick leaned down.

"Saturdays are half days. Why don't you let me take you out to lunch? I know this great little place down the street that has good grilled tuna steak." he said in a whisper. She sighed and nodded into his shoulder. "Why don't you hit the bathroom and then we'll go. I just have to go over some final details with Esposito. I'll meet you down stairs." he said softly as he tightened his grip once more and let go. When she looked up at him he was close enough to her that he could see she had blood shot eyes and her hair looked flat like she didn't take a shower this morning. She walked off and he rushed to the break room. "Something's wrong with Jordan." he said as soon as he walked into the break room.

"I knew it! Man I've seen eyes like that before. Beckett looked like that after she shot that dude Conan. She looks overwhelmed. What are we going to do?" Esposito asked.

"I'm going to take her to Blue Fin's. I was coming to take you guy's out to lunch any way. You know like a team building thing. I'm going to let her open up to me and see what's going on. I don't think it's about the kidnapping she went through, but I have a feeling it's connected to that. I have to call Kate, I need you to back me up with her. She's a little jealous of Jordan." he pulled his iPhone out and called Kate.

"Beckett." she said as she tried on a green dress.

"Kate, it's Rick. I'm calling from the break room. When I gave Jordan her gifts she hugged me and trembled. I think something's wrong with her. I'm going to take her to Blue Fin's to see if she'll open up. I need to know that your okay with this."

"Um… Well I guess? Is there really something wrong with her?" she asked suspiciously.

"Yes, Kate. Esposito is standing right here next to me, He agrees."

"Let me talk to him" she said as she sat down on the bench in the dressing room.

Rick handed the phone to Esposito. "yeah"

"Esposito, I want your opinion on the situation."

"In my opinion Boss the woman's hurting. I'm no expert on feelings but even I saw that something is wrong with her, and honey milk saw it too. I say we let Castle make a run at her and see if he can get her to talk. I don't like to think about what might happen if she tries to bottle it up and cracks under the pressure of a case."

"I want your honest answer. Do you think she has a thing for Rick, and do you think he might… well do you think he might leave me for her. This is all new and I don't want it to fail before it gets off the ground."

"You have nothing to worry about boss, I've tested the boy already, he's with you all the way. I offered to take him to a strip club, he turned me down. I talked trash about you, and he walked away from me, I'm sure if he thought he could take me he would have thrown a punch. Finally I had a hot girl walk up to him and flirt with our boy here. He gave her an autograph, and bought a round of drinks for her and her friends then he kindly told her to leave him alone. I was so proud."

"Fine but if this goes south I'm killing him and you. You understand me?" she asked in a huff.

"Got you boss." he said as he handed the phone back to Castle.

"Kate, I promise you if this is some trick, if she starts to come on to me I'll walk away. I with you Kate. I just think she's in some kind of hot water. And I want to help her." he said sinserly.

"Fine, but you promise me that if she starts to hit on you, you walk away." she demanded. "I'm not comfortable with this you know."

"I know Kate and I whouldn't nomaly, but I didn't like the way she trembled when she hugged me. Kate I just can't sit back if she's hurting. I would do the same thing if it was Lanie."

"I know Rick, and I'm trying to get over my jealousy. It's just she's pretty, and I know you have a soft spot for damsels in distress. It's who you are, and it's what I love about you. Just remember Rook turns agent Jordan down, I want life to imatate art you understand me Castle?" she demanded.

"Yes dear, I love you too dear." he said with a laugh. He sobered up quick though when she didn't laugh. "It's like I said, Always Kate. I love you. See you tonight."

"I know, I do too. I'll see you." she hung up.

Rick turnd to Esposito. "So the other night that was all a test?" he asked with mock hurt."Yep, and you passed bro. like I said I'm proud of you. Now go see what's wrong with our replacement civilian." he said as they shook hands and half hugged.

AN: sorry it took so long to get this out, but my Beta was dragging ass. Butt he looked over the next three chapters, so they should be up over the next few days. Also I know nothing about women's clothing. All of the stuff in this chapter came from a friend of mine, she's into that stuff. Next chapter, What's eating Jordan?


	10. Chapter 10

Disclaimer: Not mine!

Chapter 10

What's eating Jordan Shaw?

Rick stepped out of the elevator, and saw Jordan standing by the front doors looking out the window at the street without really seeing anything. He walked up next to her, and placed his hand on the small of her back. "Hey you ready to go?" she nodded. "the restaurant is just down the street do you want to walk or would you like to take a cab?"

"It's nice enough outside, lets walk." she said in a uncharacteristically soft voice as she pulled her rain coat around herself.

"Grate. Lets go." He opened the door, and held it for her. They walked about a block when the silence became too heavy for Rick. "So what's going on with you? Any thing new? Your not in trouble with the burrow right?"

"No work is fine. I just had to take the two weeks off because of the kidnapping. It's standard procedure to take time off after thing's like that." she tried to sound flippant but she failed miserably.

"So your work life is fine, there not giving you a hard time about the whole getting kidnapped right?"

"No, it happens to the best of us. There just glad that I'm alive."

"We all are. You gave us a scare when you didn't make it home that night. We thought we lost you until that whack job called." he looped his arm around her shoulders.

"Why don't you just ask me?" she said as she leaned into his side.

"Okay, what's troubling you?"

"My marriage is in the toilet. My husband is leaving me for his secretary. She's a twenty-eight year old perky little blond bitch. He said after the kidnapping that he couldn't live the lie of our marriage any more." She said sarcastically as she started to cry. He stopped walking and hugged her. He rubbed her back as she sobbed.

"What about your daughter, I'm sorry I didn't get her name, or now that I think about it anything about her. Tell me about her." he said, knowing from experience that, in the massive shit storm that is divorce, talking about the good that came out of the marriage takes some of the edge off.

"Her name is Kelly, she's fourteen, she will be graduating eight grade in two months. We were talking about high schools for the fall. she's smart, and full of energy. She's great. I have no idea how she turned out the way she did. I was always on a case somewhere and Sam… Sam was an ass. He had a problem with drinking back six years ago. I guess the credit goes to my mother, she raised her from little, but she died two years ago, and now I have no idea what to do." she sobbed into Castles shirt.

"It's okay Jordan, it's going to be okay. Where is Kelly now?" he asked

"She's staying at my apartment downtown, but we can't stay there for long. It's not even mine. It's an FBI safe house for god sakes. The bastard took the house. He had the audacity to kick his daughter out too. Rick he took my fucking house because he said his name is on it."

"It's okay Jordan. Where is Kelly's school?"

"She goes to the Stevenson's academy right here in Manhattan." she said confused. They started to walk again.

"I struck a deal with the land lord of my building for a the unit next to mine for Kate, but she moved in with me. It's a two bedroom apartment half furnished. And it's a secure building. He said that he would come way down on the price because Kate's a cop. I'm sure that he would offer you the same deal." he said in a rush. You could see that he was thinking three steps ahead.

"Wow. Hold up. How much are we talking about here Castle?" she asked. She liked the idea of a secure building. But price could be a factor. "I might make a lot more than a cop, but I'm still a civil servant." she reminded him.

"Let me talk to the owner, and see what he says. Like I said he is willing to go way down on the price because it makes the other tenants feel safer knowing a law enforcement officer is living in the building. Plus if you live there Kelly could spend time with us while your away on cases. I also have connections at York Prep. My daughter Alexis goes there and I just donated new computers to the school, so if she wants it would be easy to get her in."

"That's all great but like I said how much?" she asked. While thinking about the School. Kelly had expressed interest in going to one of the high class prep. schools in the city.

"Well the deal we had worked out was she would get the apartment at a tenth of the going price. It fluctuates but the first months rent was only like $2,000." he said airily. They were at the restaurant by now and Castle asked for a table in the back.

"I can't afford that! Not with school fees, and well you have a teenaged daughter so you know how much money it cost to raise them, I mean if I made the kind of money Sam makes I could afford it, but not on just my salary." she said shaking her head.

"How about if you made half his salary?" he asked with a evil smile.

"Yeah, I guess?" not understanding were this conversation was going.

Rick pulled out his iPhone and flipped through his contacts. "Do you have a divorce attorney yet?"

"No, he just kicked us out two days ago."

"Okay, hold on." he tapped his screen twice and put the phone up to his ear. "Yes this is Richard Castle, I'm looking for Barbra Walker. Sure I'll hold… Barbra? Hi it's Rick Castle, no I don't need your services. No I have a friend here that's just been kicked out by her soon to be ex, and she needs to take him to the cleaners. Yes he cheated, hold on. Jordan, you didn't cheat on him did you?" he asked looking up.

"No, I've never cheated on him." she said looking around. she hated to disclose such details in public.

"No she didn't. did you sign a pre-nup?" he asked her. She shook her head. "No pre-nup. Yes it should be an easy case, that's why your going to do it at a fraction of what you normally charge. No I don't want to hear it. She's an FBI profiler. She stops serial killers for a living. I think she deserves a break on the price. That's what I want to hear. Thank you Barbra I owe you one." he hung up the phone and looked at Jordan. She had a glazed over look in her eye's.

"Did you just hire a divorce attorney for me?" she asked with an edge to her voice.

"No I just got the best divorce attorney in the country to take your case for free. Your welcome. Now you said that Kelly is at home right now?" he asked ordering the grilled tuna stake when the waiter came around.

"Yes, she said she was going to do some homework and then watch some TV. Why?" she asked she also ordered the tuna.

"I noticed that eating lunch was not included in that list. Do you think she would like to spend the rest of her day out shopping with Kate, Alexis, my mother, and Kate's friend Lanie. I'm sure there about ready for lunch, they could swing by the house and pick up Kelly." Rick said as he took a bite of his tuna.

"Um, well if it's not too much trouble, I guess." she was so off balance that she couldn't get her footing back.

"You call Kelly and tell her to get ready, and I'll call Kate and update her on the whole situation." he pulled out his phone and called Kate.

"Beckett."

"Kate it's me Rick, have you guys had lunch yet?"

"We are just leaving Lyn & Steve's to get some thing now, why?"

"Can you guy's swing by Jordan's place and pick up her Daughter Kelly and take her with you. She might need the company."

"Yeah I guess. Rick what's going on." She sounded confused and agitated.

"Jordan's Husband kicked her and Kelly out and he want's a divorce. If Jordan's shaken up by it I can only imagine what Kelly's going through. So I want you guy's to take her with you, and if she spots something she likes get it for her. Tell her uncle Rick is paying for it. I'm going to stay with Jordan, we have a few stops to make."

"That's fine Rick, just put her on the phone." Castle looked up at Jordan and she was just hanging up her phone. He handed his phone to her and said "Kate" when she looked at him questioningly. She took the phone.

"Jordan" she said.

"Jordan, it's Kate, I'm so sorry about your marriage, and you don't have to worry about Kelly we'll make sure she has a good time. But I need to ask you a few questions first." Kate was using her interrogation voice now.

"Ask away."

"The first thing I need to know is are you attracted to Rick?"

"Um, maybe. Hold on I can't answer you sitting at the same table as him let me move to the Ladies room." she got up and hurried to the bathroom. Once safely inside she answered the question. "Yes I think he's great, he's charming and funny, and he just solved almost all of my problems in an hour. I got up this morning dreading the rest of my life, but he comes in to the bullpen like a knight handing out shining armor. And he hugged me, and told me he would make it all better…""I knew this was going to happen." Kate sounded resigned.

"What are you talking about?"

"you love him too, and he's going to pick you and…" "Wow hold on there just one minute. I don't love Rick. I like him, you know, as a friend. I would never come between you and him. I knew that you two had something going on." Said Jordan, as she took a look at her self in the mirror and made a face. She needed to wash her hair desperately.

"It's actually kind of new." Replied Kate with a smile.

"Well what ever it is I'm not interested in coming between you two. Besides you have nothing to worry about. He's totally in love with you. I saw that just from spending time with you two on the case. I also think that I'm going to swear off men for awhile after what my bastard Husband did to me. In fact Rick might be the only man I could stand to be in the same room with for the next few weeks."

"He told me. I'm sorry about that Jordan, I really am." Kate sounded sincere.

"Thank you. I knew we were growing apart but I never expected to be thrown out of my house, or Kelly for that matter. This is going to be hard on her. She was kind of close to her dad, but he said his girlfriend didn't want Kelly around…" Jordan started to lose her composure.

"It's okay we'll look out for her today. And later you guys are invited to. Hold on, Alexis? What do you guy's do on Saturday nights? Right, o that sounds cool, so it's like Thursday night? Jordan?"

"Yeah?"

"You and Kelly are invited to Pizza night at Castle's castle. He said you guy's had a few more stops to make did he tell you what they are?" "No, in fact this is the first I'm hearing about it. I'll go ask him." Jordan walked back to the table and sat down across from Rick. "Rick? Kate want's to know what stops we're making, and so do I."

"Did you give her the address to pick up Kelly?"

"No, that's a good catch, Kate can you take down this address," she gave the address and Kate got the Ladies into the car she then gave the address to the driver and they were moving. Rick asked for the phone back.

"Kate I'm taking Jordan to meet my Divorce Attorney, then I need to go car shopping for Maggie, and then I need to talk to the landlord of our building to see if we can get Jordan the unit next to us."

"Your putting her up next door?"

"No I'm not paying, I'm just going to see if I can talk him down on the price to something she can afford. This way, when she's out of town on a case Kelly can come over if she needs anything." he reasoned.

"That's a good idea, it was very thoughtful of you Rick. Why are you going through all this for her though?" Kate asked in a flippant way, but Rick knew that his answer was important to her.

"I don't know. Call it one divorced parent looking out for another. Plus you said it your self I have a soft spot for damsels in distress."

"Well we'll see you at home later. Alexis tells me it's pizza night. Bring Jordan with you."

"I will. I'll see you later. I love you Kate."

"I do too." Kate hung up and Rick looked up to find Jordan with a smile on her face.

"I think it's cute. The way you say you love her. it's like young love." she sounded bitter.

"Your just jaded right now because of your ex. It will pass in time, but for now do you have a car or was that FBI property?"

"The SUV was, but I have my off duty car with me, why?"

"Because I don't have a car so it looks like your driving." they finished there lunch and walked back to the precinct. They approached the lot. " which one is your's?"

"The dark green '07 mustang."

"Nice, it's good that your coming along with me, I have to buy a car for a girl, and have no idea what to get her."

AN: I think this is good place to state that though I'm a caskett shipper, I'm also a huge Rick/Jordan shipper. I don't know what it is, but I like her. I think it has a lot to do with the fact that I think Dana Delaney is hot. Don't get me wrong, I think Stana is cute, but she's a bit on the thin side if you ask me. Like I said I'm a Caskett fan, but there was a part of me that wanted Rick to fall in love with Jordan as she cried on his shoulder. I'm still playing with the idea of writing a Rick/Jordan love story. I'd call it Federal Heat, corny I know, but it would be fun. I still might write it. Besides that I have nothing. So until next time, TBH


	11. Chapter 11

Disclaimer: not mine… well Kelly is, but the rest? Nope, not mine.

Chapter 11

More shopping, and new BFF's

"Kate where are we going?" Asked Lanie from her seat next to Martha in the back of the black limo.

"Jordan Shaw is going through a bad divorce, and her fourteen year old daughter is home alone. Rick thought it would be a good idea to take her with us for the rest of the day. You know what he's like, he has this ingrown need to help women. I think it's cute." said Kate with a small smile playing a the corners of her lips.

"I must say that dad always went out of his way for women in need. He donates to all the women shelters, and organizations." said Alexis with a laugh.

"Like I said it's endearing. He also talked about helping her move into the unit next door to us." said Kate.

Lanie made a disapproving noise, "Well as long as it's endearing and not an excuse for writer boy to have his mistress near by…"

"He wouldn't do that!"

"Dad would never cheat!"

"Not my Richard!"

Lanie was taken back by the overwhelming unanimous vote of confidence. "I didn't mean it, I'm just saying."

"I know I thought so too, but he told me it's not like that, and I believe him. Now we're approaching the building. We're going to spend the day with Jordan's kid, and Rick said to treat her like family. If she protests just tell her uncle Rick is paying for it. That's what he said. I don't get it." said Kate with a look of puzzlement playing across her eyes.

"Well dad sort of adopts nieces and nephews. Like Maggie. Ten years ago, when she first came to live with Chris, she got the flu. She puked on dad's shoes in the lobby of the building and started to cry. From that moment on he's looked out for her like she was a second daughter. Maggie's been great, she act's like he's an uncle, and she treats me like a little sister. She helped me with my homework, and dad helped with hers. he's the one that persuaded her to go to NYU, and study medicine." Said Alexis with a smile.

The black limo pulled up in front of a nice brown stone, and Kate and Alexis stepped out. They approached the building and Kate rang the top bell.

"hello?" a young girl's voice called out of the speaker of the brass call box.

"hi I'm Kate, your mom sent us to take you out to lunch, and shopping."

"I'll be down in a minute." Thirty seconds later the front door opened and a pool of coppery red hair spilled out. Alexis did a double take, it was like looking in a mirror. She was smaller, only coming to Alexis' shoulders, but that had a lot to do with her being two years younger. She also had big brown eyes. Besides that she could have been Alexis' twin. "Hi, I'm Kelly." she said shyly as she shook Kate's hand.

"Kate Beckett, this is Alexis. We're all kind of hungry so lets go." Said Kate as she led them to the limo. Martha opened the door and stepped out. She greeted Kelly with a hug.

"Hello dear, I'm Martha, and this is Lanie. We are headed to lunch, is there a place you would like to go?"

"Um, anywhere is fine." Kelly replied shyly. She took the seat next to Martha and Alexis slid in next to her.

"Do you have any preferences, or food issues. You know like are you a vegetarian?" asked Alexis.

"No, anywhere is fine. Um I am really hungry though so maybe we could go to, like a burger place." mumbled Kelly.

"Louie's it is then. They have great burgers, and fresh cut stake fries." announced Alexis. She opened the partition and told the driver where they were headed to next.

Jordan's hunter green mustang rolled in to a parking garage full of expensive European cars. She found a space on the third floor. They got out and walked across the street to a big office building. Rick walked to the elevator, and held the door for Jordan. He then hit the button for the top floor. They road in silence. The doors opened up to a reception area that screamed money. Rick led them to the receptionist desk. "Hello, how can I help you?" the pretty blond behind the desk asked.

"Hi I'm Richard Castle, and this is Jordan Shaw. We got a last minute appointment with Barbra Walker." Rick flashed his charming smile, and the girl behind the desk got flustered. Jordan on the other hand shot the girl a death glare.

"Right, Ms. Walker is expecting you. If you will just follow me I'll take you to her office…" she started to get up, but Rick waved her off.

"I know my way around this place, you don't need to get up." he said as he guided Jordan, by the small of her back, through the glass doors that led to the inner offices. "You know that every young blond girl is not sleeping with your husband, right?" he asked Jordan as they walked to the back corner, and Rick knocked of the door to the biggest office. "Enter!"

"Barbra! So good to see you. Your looking good as always." he said as he walked in to the office and hugged the woman standing next to her big desk. "Barbra, this is Jordan Shaw. She's your new client." he said as he turned to Jordan.

Barbra Walker was a knock out six foot tall red head, with glowing green eyes. She looked like she belonged on a runway not an office. Jordan guessed she was about fifty years old, but it was hard to tell. She was no stranger to the surgeons knife, and from the way her site jacket bulged open she obviously had breast implants. Jordan shook her hand. Barbra motioned for them to take seats.

"So from the call we had earlier the fact's of the case are, he cheated on you, he then kicked you out of a house that you helped pay for, he also renounced custody of your daughter, and lastly there was no pre-nup. This looks to me like an open and shut case, and I'm going to make sure it goes like that. I don't see you coming away from this with less then a third of his yearly income, and a huge child support allowance. The fact that you're an officer of the law, and you have a high risk job means that you will destroy him in a court room. Now all we have to do is get the particulars out of the way."

Kelly was sitting next to Alexis in a big U shaped booth at a 1950's style diner waiting for the waitress in the pink skirt and blond wig to bring out her lunch.

"So your graduating in six weeks, any idea of where you want to go to high school?" Alexis asked with a friendly smile.

"We where looking at prep schools in the city, but I'm not sure if we will be able to afford it now." She sounded a little choked up. Alexis put her arm around the smaller girl.

"Hey my dad made a huge donation to my school, maybe they are willing to give you a scholarship. Have you looked at York prep. Yet?"

"It was in my top five. I like the fact that they have so many AP classes. And there really tech heavy."

"yeah York is great. I'm going to be a junior next year. If you do go to York we can commute to School every morning. It will be a lot of fun. Do you know what you want to do after school?"

"I want to be an agent like my mom. I see her catching bad guys and making a difference. I like it. My mom is so heroic. I look up to her big time. She probably won't like it but I hope to be a profiler like her." she said excitedly, then remembering that she was with new people she blushed red and tried to look away from Alexis. But Alexis just hugged her close.

"I think it's great that you can be excited about the work your mom does. I'm hugely excited by my dad's books. In fact it's what I want to do when I grow up. I want to be a writer like my dad. Maybe I'll write crime novels abut a pretty, smart, and cool under pressure red headed rooky FBI agent that stops killers." she said with a laugh.

"That would be so cool."

Rick helped Jordan to her car. She had a glazed over look in her eyes, and she was a little unsteady on her feet. She was going over the last hour in her head. _I guess when you have the best Attorney in the country they handle a lot of the details_. She thought. Barbra said she would handle the whole thing, she said that if Sam made 650K a year she was entitled to at least 200 thousand of that. From now on if Sam wanted something Barbra would handle it. In fact from now on if she never wanted to see Sam ever again she didn't have to. The numbers were spinning around her head. If he wanted the house, and he said he did, he owed her half the price of the up scale suburban mansion. He would be fiscally responsible for Kelly's schooling. She vaguely heard Rick asking her something. She turned to him and gave him a lost look. He sighed and hugged her to him. He rubbed her back and said reassuring things to her. After what felt like hours, but was only five minutes she lifted her head. "What did you ask me for?"

"I said hand over your keys, your in no state to drive right now." he told her. As if proving his point she reached into her purse and pulled out her keys with out thinking. He took them and opened her door. He helped her in to the passenger seat and ran around the car, and slipped in behind the wheel. He started up the big V8 and revved it a few times. He pulled the car out of the lot. "I know what your going through right now Jordan, I remember what it was like when my first marriage failed. You'll feel like this for a few days."

"And after that?" She asked softly.

"After that the day to day things will provide you with a distraction. I'm lucky I had Alexis. Taking care of her took all of my time. I owe my sanity to her. You have Kelly, live every day for the next few months for her. Make sure she's okay, make sure she feels loved and cared for. And after awhile it wont hurt as bad." he said offering her hope.

"I guess… hay why are you driving my car Castle?" she snapped out from her stupor.

"We have places to be and you were in no state to drive. So you handed me the keys." He shrugged and offered up one of his charming smiles.

"Fine, where are we going?" She asked as she crossed her arms in a little kids pout.

"We are going car shopping. My niece just got all A's again, that's four semesters in a row so I said I'd get her a car. I'm taking you along so you can help me find one."

"What are you looking for?"

"I have no idea. When we agreed on this deal she said she wanted an M3, but that was two years ago, so now I'm going to a high end dealership, and I'm going to call her and ask for a list of cars. Then we'll go shopping. You're here for a woman's opinion." he said as he pulled into a parking lot full of high end sports cars. They parked next to the main showroom and walked into the building. He was greeted by a little short guy in a shiny suit and way too much gold jewelry.

"Tony! I'm here for a car and I don't plan on leaving here without one."

"Ricky! Any thing for you. Now what are we looking for?" the little man asked, as he led them to his office.

"I'm not sure yet, let me make a phone call." Rick pulled out his iphone and called Maggie. "Maggie, it's uncle Rick. I'm sitting in a dealership, and I need your list. Don't be silly you know you've earned it. Now what's the list." Rick asked for a pen and paper. He shouldered the phone and wrote down a few things on the paper. "Okay I'll see what they got, and I should have your present by dinner. No I'm not going to tell you which one, it will be a surprise. I love you too. I'll see you later." he put away his phone and looked at the other two. "We are looking for: BMW M3, Mini Cooper S Cabriolet, VW Jetta tdi, and a Volvo C70. Do you have those on the lot."

"Let me make a call down to the pit and I'll have all of my stock of those cars brought down." after a ten minute wait they walked out the back of the show room and saw twenty cars setting in a line. "First we have three M3's in stock. They all come standard with everything except for comfort. What you have here is a stripped down racecar."

Rick turned to Jordan who was sitting in the black M3. "What do you think?"

"I like it, but he's right, the seats are uncomfortable." she said with a grimace.

"Next!" called Rick

"The next Car is the Mini Cooper S Cabriolet. I like it. You said your buying this for a girl right?" Tony asked.

"Yeah, she's twenty-one and taking pre-med classes at NYU." Said Rick with pride.

"This is the car I would recommend. It's fun and fast. We sell like six of these a week to women. There our top sellers for ladies." Tony Said standing next to a red mini.

"Jordan what do you think?" Rick asked from behind the wheel of a British racing green Mini.

"It's cute, I can see why you sell so many of them, but I don't know. I like it but a part of me yells out stereotype." she said pointing at a yellow one with white stripes.

"I see what you mean, but I like it. Hay Tony keep this one out, that dark blue one with the black stripes and the red with the black stripes. What else you got." said Rick from his seat behind the wheel of the green Mini.

The ladies were sitting around a stack of shoe boxes in Macy's shoe department.

"I don't understand why all the good looking shoes are uncomfortable." announced Lanie in a huff as she took off the red stiletto pump she was trying on and tossed it on to the pile.

"Tell me about it. I thought these boots would go good with some of the stuff I got today but there's no way in hell I could chase down a perp. in these." she said waving around a shiny black pointy heeled boot.

"I don't know what your talking about I found some great stuff." said Alexis holding up a pair of black low heeled shoes.

"But I need something with a high heel." said Kate.

"Why?" asked Alexis.

"you have no idea what kind of damage you can inflict with a stiletto, do you?" Kate asked as she tried on a pair of black pumps.

"No, I never thought about it." said Alexis staring down at a red high heel in her hand with a new found respect.

"Tell you what, find a pair of comfortable sturdy heels and I'll teach you how the fight in them. You too Kelly." Kate said looking at a pair of brown boots.

"Cool! Thanks Kate." Said Alexis as she took Kelly's hand and led her off in to the stacks of shoes.

Maggie Stone sat in her room reading a Biology book, or at least that's what she was trying to do. She kept thinking about her Uncle Rick. When she made this deal with him two years ago it was a joke. She had just been accepted to NYU,

"I expect you to get straight A's." Rick told her as he hugged her.

"what's in it for me uncle Rick." Maggie said with a smile.

"anything." Rick said with a smirk.

"How about a car." she said as a joke.

"Okay, what kind." he said seriously.

"Um, that was a joke uncle Rick. You don't have to get me a car."

"How about this, if you get straight A's for the first two years, I'll buy you a car." he said sticking out his right hand. She shook his hand and he pulled her in for a hug. "I'm so proud of you kiddo." He said giving her a kiss on the top of her head.

Now Maggie was sitting in her room waiting for him to bring her prize. Her phone rang and she flipped it open. "Hello?"

"Maggie I'm almost out front, come on out." said Rick, he then hung up. She tossed her phone into her bag and ran out to the front door of the building. Mike was sitting at the desk when she ran up.

"What's your hurry Mag?" he asked.

"Uncle Rick bought me a car for getting good grades." she replied excitedly. Just then a dark green Mustang rolled up out side and Rick hopped out.

"What do you think?" He asked with a smirk.

"I, I like it, um…" she said trying to hide the look of disappointment. he hugged her laughing. He then waved his arms and Jordan pulled up next to her car in the green and black striped Mini Rick was sitting in at the dealership. "Uncle Rick that was mean. I thought you got me a stang. I don't like them." she said making a face at Jordan's car.

"I know, that's what made it so funny. Maggie I want you to meet Jordan Shaw. Jordan this is my niece Maggie." the two women shook hands. And Castle led Maggie around to her new car. He opened the door for her and she slipped in behind the wheel. Her smile was huge.

"This is perfect. I love it." She said.

"Look in the glove compartment." He said with a smirk. She popped it open and a fat brick of money was in there. She turned to him with a question in her eyes. "It's gas money, and the car is stock so you can add anything you want to it. I told Tony to expect you some time soon to customize it up." he said.

"This is so cool. You want to take a ride around the block?" She asked him with a smile.

"Your damn right I do. But maybe later. Right now I have a meeting with Harry. Why don't you go pick up some of your friends and go show off your new ride." He said. She hopped out of the car and hugged Rick hard.

"I love you uncle Rick, and I love the car." she said.

"I love you too kiddo. Now go have some fun, but not too much fun." he said with a laugh. She got back in the car, and took off to her friend's house. Rick turned to Jordan. "She's a good kid. Now we have to see a man about a unit… that sounded a lot less dirty in my head." He said as he led her into the building. He walked to a door in the side of the lobby and knocked. The door was tossed opened and a fat balding man in a suit stood in the door way.

"Rick how can I help you?" he asked with a smile as he led them in to his office.

"Harry this is FBI agent Jordan Shaw, and she's in the market for an apartment. I was wondering if 4C was still available?" asked Rick.

"Yeah, it's still open, I'm guessing you want to know if I'm willing to offer the same rates I was offering three days ago?" he asked with a knowing smile.

"You know me too well Harry. Jordan and her daughter need a place and she likes the idea of the security of the building." said Rick with a smile.

"So why don't we go take a look around the unit and then we'll talk about price." said Harry as he stood up.

AN: true story I asked the same friend I talked about fashion with, why she wears heels, she said it made her ass look good and because they were deadly weapons. I asked how? she showed me her women's self defense class moves, and now I will never look at women the same way again. High heels are murder weapons. (shudder) any who, I'm deleting A Little Girl Lost. I've got not thing but bad reviews for it and questions about plotline. So it's going and in it's place will be a better story. I don't have a title for it yet but it's going to be a Kate/Tom and Rick/Jordan story. It should be super fluffy, and short, although this story was supposed to be short and look at where we are now. Until next time,TBH


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Melt downs and heated moments

The black limo rolled to a stop in front of Rick's building. Mike the doorman walked up to the back door as it opened and he handed Kate out of the car. The trunk popped open and Mike looked inside. He saw all the bags and turned to hand Martha out of the car next.

"Did you ladies leave anything for the other shoppers?" he asked with a Laugh.

Martha laughed too. "Hopefully not. I would be remised if I found out that we left an article behind. Isn't it a military thing, never leave a man behind?" she said with an over the top shrug. Mike finished helping the ladies out of the car then he walked them to the lobby.

"I will have all of your bags brought up in a minute, I just need to get the other luggage cart." said Mike as the ladies stepped on to the elevator.

"We shall wait on bated breath for our babies to be brought up." said Martha, getting mutters of agreement for the women behind her as the doors closed. When the doors opened on the forth floor they saw the door to unit 4C open. Kate pushed the door open all the way and they saw Rick and Jordan sitting at a dark wood dining room table across from a short bald man. Jordan heard the door open and turned to see the ladies pile into her future front hall. She stood up and walked over to her daughter. She saw her standing next to a girl that could have been Kelly's twin. She hugged her daughter. "Hey sweetie, how was your day?" she asked pulling back a little.

"It was great mom! This is Alexis, she goes to York. She said that her dad could get me in there. And they took me shopping at Macy's and I got these really nice black and red pumps, and this gorgeous red dress, and I tried to pay for stuff but Alexis said that her dad was picking up the tab for the whole day, and what's another two thousand dollars?…" said Kelly in a rush.

"Two thousand!" Jordan all but yelled out. "What did you buy for that price?"

"Just a dress and some shoes and a coat, and some jeans." Kelly replied weakly as her bottom lip trembled.

"If you want to get on some ones case about it Jordan than it's mine. I told Kate to make sure she got what ever she wanted." Said Rick from behind her. She turned on him.

"It's not right…" she got no further in her rant because Rick Leaned in close and said in a low threatening voice.

"Jordan if you love your daughter at all you will stop right there and come with me right now." he took her by the arm and walked her in to the kitchen area. "Now I know your new to this whole divorce thing, and I know you feel like shit right now, but Kelly feels the same way. She needs to feel good right now, and if it takes two thousand or two hundred thousand I will pay it without a thought to put a smile on the face of a little girl who's whole world just fell apart two days ago. Now go be the mother I know you are and hug your daughter. She was just rejected by one parent she doesn't need you yelling at her right now." he said and then he walked away from her. She thought about the look on her daughter's face just a minute ago and lost her composure. She took a seat on the floor next to the refrigerator and cried.

Rick walked up to Harry who was sitting at the table trying not to pry, "Why don't we call it a day, tack on the first months rent to my bill, and we'll talk over the details later." Said Rick as he ushered Harry out of the apartment. He then walked over to the group of ladies and saw his daughter holding Kelly and Kate and his mother rubbing her back and talking to her softly. He approached the group and tapped his daughter on the shoulder she looked up at him and smiled. He stepped up behind Kelly. "Your mom has been under a lot of stress, and she lost herself for a second back there. I think she might need a hug, why don't you go see." he said in a soft voice. Kelly pulled back from Alexis and walked over to her mom. She crouched down and hugged her.

"I love you mommy. It will be okay." Kelly said, and Jordan pulled her in tight

"I know Baby, I love you too. I'm sorry I acted like that, I don't know what came over me." said Jordan as she pulled back from her daughter and let her sit next to her on the floor. She put her arm around Kelly and pulled her into her side.

"Alexis' dad said it's just stress." said Kelly like she was handing out great wisdom.

"Rick is a smart man. So what do you think of this place? It's huge right?" said Jordan with a smile.

"I like it. Plus it's right next door to Alexis' place." said Kelly

"Why don't you tell me about your new best friend?" Said Jordan with a laugh.

"She goes to York and she's super smart…" began Kelly

Rick looked over the other Ladies standing by the door. Lanie stood off to the side next to his mother and Kate stood by the door. He walked up to Kate. She looked at him, and he pulled her into a deep kiss. He pulled back and smiled. "So did you have fun today?" he asked as he turned to the other women. As if on cue the elevator dingged open and Mike struggled with the two luggage carts. Rick walked over and took one of them. "Hey Mike."

"Hello Mr. Castle. I come baring the fruits of the great hunt." said Mike as he pulled out a third cart from the elevator. Rick did a double take after seeing the third cart.

"My god do you think there's anything left in the store?" he said as he opened the door to his apartment.

"I doubt it, where would you like this stuff?" asked Mike as he pushed his two carts into the apartment.

"I think it would be easier to just leave the carts and have the Women folk sort it out. I'll have Alexis bring the carts down when there done." he said as he handed Mike a twenty.

"Thank you Mr. Castle, just call down and I'll come and get them." he said as he left. His three favorite women walked in with Lanie in tow.

"I think you guys should sort that out and I'll order the pizza. What kind does everyone want?" he asked as he pulled out a note pad.

"I don't think I'm staying…" that was as far as Lanie got before four 'yes you are' hit her. "Okay since I'm staying I like veggie." she said.

"I'll take veggie too." said Alexis

"Me too" Said Martha as she walked by him on her way to the bathroom.

"Okay so we're getting a large veggie and I'm guessing you want pepperoni Kate?" he got a thumbs up from her as she sifted through the bags. "so I'll get a large pepperoni, and a medium cheese. Does anyone want anything else?" he asked, he got three head shakes. "Alexis can you go next door and see if Jordan, or Kelly want any thing?" he asked his daughter, and she walked out of the apartment. Rick walked over to the kitchen and sat on a bar stool. A minute later Alexis came back with Jordan and Kelly in tow. "Did they want anything?" Rick called across the apartment to his daughter.

"No, there good with whatever we get." Called Alexis from the cart full of bags. Rick called in the order and walked over to the gaggle of women circling around the three carts full of shopping bags like hungry sharks. He thought for the first time that maybe it wasn't a really good idea to have Jordan and Kelly move in next door. He could see visions of the five women taking over his house. He could imagine them all ganging up on him, or over ruling him on everything. Before it was just his mother and Alexis, and there was a time when he felt like he was drowning in estrogen. Now with Kate, Jordan, and Kelly thrown in to the mix he would be swimming in women. A fantasy for some but a scary thing in real life.

"So what great bounty have you brought back my fearse warrior women?" he asked as he took a seat on the couch. Alexis' head popped up from looking through bags and answered. "a lot of good stuff dad. Lyn&Steve's was great! I got a few tops and some jeans and a dress, and a leather jacket like Kate wears." she said holding up the soft brown leather motorcycle jacket.

Kate was the next person to hold up a jacket like Alexis. "I replaced most of my stuff, and the girls helped me pick out…" and for the next hour the ladies showed him some of the stuff they bought that day. He faned interest, but he had no idea what some of the stuff was. He didn't understand what the big deal was about catching a shoe sale at Macy's meant. To him he saw a bunch of stuff, but he also knew that to them it was a great source of fun and happiness so he didn't care. As long as his ladies were happy. He was saved from more show and tell by the phone ringing. He picked it up and Mike asked if he should bring the pizza delivery boy up or if Rick was coming down.

"I'm coming down now, I'm also bringing two of the carts." he said as he hung up the phone and took the two carts out to the elevator. He handed the carts off to Mike and gave the delivery guy a hundred dollar bill and took his bounty up to the women. When he opened the door he saw them all still sitting around the pile of bags in the living room. He put the three pizzas on the kitchen counter and set out plates. "come and get it!" he called as he lifted the tops off the pizza boxes. The smell hit them and the bags were abandoned. When every one had a slice and a beer, or soda for the girls. He ushered them into the living room around the bags and had them sit down. He opened the TV cabinet and looked through his vast collection of DVD's he started to pull some down.

"What are we going to watch?" Kate asked Alexis.

"No idea, on pizza night dad picks the line up. It could be anything."

Rick turned around after putting three movies in the player. "Tonight we watch feel good flicks. For your viewing pleasure we have. Wall-E, Toy Story, and UP! We start with Wall-E, the story of a every man kind of guy minding his own business until one day a beautiful, deadly, and super smart, girl drops in on him. He then spends the rest of his days following her around trying to get her attention. For some reason this story sounds familiar?" Rick left the that last comment hanging as he took his seat next to Kate with the rest of the women laughing.

"If it's any concelation, I happen to think Wall-E is cute." whispered Kate as Rick pulled her into his side.

Like stir fry night, Alexis was the first to drop off. But unlike the other night she ended up laying on Kelly's shoulder. Somewhere between the end of Wall-E and the beginning of Toy Story Kelly's eyes started to droop. Jordan saw this and tapped her daughter. "Sweetie I think it's time to go. Say goodbye to everyone and find your bags."

"Okay mom." she said as she stood up and the movement made Alexis stir. When she opened her eyes, Kelly hugged her. "I want to thank you for everything today, you made me feel like I fit in."

"Of cores, you are always welcome here." she replied she then stood up and they walked over to the pile of bags to figure out what belonged to Kelly. Rick stood up and helped Kate up. Kate walked over to Jordan and hugged her.

"I hope everything works out for you. And if the boys give you a hard time you call me." she handed Jordan her card with her cell number written on it.

"I will, but the boys seem harmless." said Jordan with a smile.

"Oh, there anything but, I also want to thank you for helping out on your time off." Said Kate sincerely.

"The least I could do. You know as well as I do that if you didn't go into that building some agent would be knocking on my door to tell my baby I was dead." she said very seriously. Kate hugged Jordan.

"your one of us, and we look out for our own. You know that, it's the unspoken code of law enforcement." said Kate. Rick walked up to them.

"Oww, hot girl group hug!" called out rick as he hugged the two women. Kate and Jordan Laughed and Kate walked over to say good night to Kelly. Rick turnd to Jordan, "Jordan I just wanted to let you know that I'm here if you need to talk to someone. Going through divorce is hard and it's even harder on people like us, they call it being the victom of divorce. I've been down this road twice, both of my ex-wives cheated on me and they both requested divorce. There will be days where it will feel like the world is closing in on you. This is my phone number," He said handing her a slip of paper, "you call day, or night. Never hesitate. Victims stick together. I feel bad about leaving the country, but Alexis planned the trip. Any way if you have any problem you go to Lanie, or Esposito. I'll give them the heads up."

"You don't have to…"

"Yes I do, your family now. We take care of our own. This is the key to next door." He handed her the brass key on the silver ring. "The first month's rent is paid for, take a few days to look the place over. See what you need and then when we come back from our trip we'll help you move." Jordan hugged him and laid her head on his chest.

"I want to thank you for everything Rick. I know you think it's nothing but I do. I don't know what I would have done without you today." she said softly. It was at that moment that it hit them that they were standing a little too close. Jordan backed up a step and they shared an awkward pause. Kelly walked up with three shopping bags."I got everything mom." Jordan and Rick turned to her and Rick took the bags from her, and offered her his arm. Kelly looped hers through his and giggled a little.

"I'll take you ladies down." he turned to the other women in the house and saw Lanie standing a few feet away from him holding a few shopping bags and giving him a funny look. "Do you want to walk down with us Lanie? I can have one of the guys downstairs call you a cab." he said offering up his other arm. She gave him a suspicious look but took his arm. "I will be back in a few." he offered to the women staying in the flat and turned to the door. As they waited for the elevator Kelly looked up at Rick.

"thank you for the day out." She said softly as she turned her head away. Rick un-looped his arms from Lanie and crouched down a little. He took Kelly's chin in his hand and looked at her.

"Did Alexis tell you how I collect nieces and nephews?" he asked, she nodded. "Then you know I think of you as family. I gave your mother my cell number, I want you to put it in your phone as well. Never hesitate to call me for anything. I'm assuming you have Alexis' number as well. If you ever need anything big, or small you call your uncle Rick Okay?" he said in the same soothing voice he used whenever Alexis was sick or hurt. She looked up at him and nodded shyly. "Good now lets get you girl's down to the lobby." He said with his patented charming smile.

When they got to the lobby Lanie stood off to the side as Rick walked Jordan and Kelly to there car parked out front. He opened the door for Jordan and closed it behind her. He bent down and she opened her window. "We are going to have Brunch tomorrow at ten. Why don't you ladies come over. Kelly you can help Alexis pack. Our flight to London leaves tomorrow night." He said with a smile.

"That would be cool." Kelly said.

"I guess that settles it, we'll be here in the morning." said Jordan "Good night."

"Until tomorrow." he replied. He stood up and Jordan drove away. When he walked back inside he saw Lanie sitting in one of the two dark green arm chairs sitting off to the side of the lobby. He walked over and sat in the other one. "Okay we're away from the rest of the group, what's on your mind?" he asked with what he hoped was a charming smile.

"If you hurt my girl I'll kill you, you know that right?" She said in a light tone, but he could hear the fire behind it.

"I would never hurt Kate, I love her." He said defensively.

"Is that why you had a little moment with the Febie?" she all but growled out.

"There was no moment. That was me trying to help a friend. I've been in her place before, I know what she's going through. I'm not going to sit here and lie. Jordan is a beautiful woman, and under different circumstances I might even have loved her. But I met Kate, and since that day I have thought of no one else. Hell I only went out with bachelorett number 3 to make Kate jealous, I can't even remember her name." he said defensively.

"Listen Castle, I know you love her, but I know you. I've worked with you for a year and a half, and I sat through all of Katie's rants about you. I know you just as well as she does. I know you have a soft spot for women in trouble. Like that prostitute that turnd out to be the pimp. You almost let her get away because she gave you a sob story." She reminded him with a sarcastic laugh.

"I might want to take care of Jordan and her daughter, but I love Kate. I wont cheat on her. I've been on the other side of the cheating and it's not fun."

"So let me get this straight. If Jordan came to you in the middle of the night, and lets say needed comfort. Would one thing lead to another?" She asked.

"No, it would not. Tonight she hugged me. It was a little too close, and both of us backed up. I know what I'm doing. I know how to stop a situation from getting out of hand. I also know that Jordan knows that it's not going to go that far. You have nothing to worry about." he said with conviction.

She stood up and he followed, she hugged him. "You're a good man Rick, I hope Katie knows it. Now I'm going to have one of the two men standing by the desk call me a cab. Why don't you go upstairs before they get suspicious." she said with a laugh.

"Will we be seeing you for brunch tomorrow?" he asked

"Yeah, I guess. What time?"

"Ten. I also wan't to talk to you about something, but it can wait till tomorrow."

"Good night Rick." she said as they parted ways at the desk. He turnd back to her.

"Until tomorrow." he said as he walked to the elevator.

When he walked into the apartment the only person still up was Kate. She was sitting on a bar stool at the kitchen counter sipping something from a mug. He walked up to her and stood behind her. He put his hands on her shoulders and rubbed away the tention he found there. "What are you drinking?" he asked softly, like he was afrade to break the serenity of the moment.

"Your mother's mint tea." She said with a smile, knowing that he hated the stuff.

"eww, how can you drink that abomenation?" he asked.

"I like it. In fact everyone likes it but you." there was a small uneasy silence between them and Rick didn't like it.

"Ask." he said.

"What? I'm not asking anything." she said defencivly.

"I know, your not asking very loudly." he said with a smirk

"Okay, do you have a thing for Jordan?" she asked in a soft voice. Almost as if she was hoping he missed the question so she didn't have to hear the answer.

"No, I don't. I also don't think she has a thing for me." he answered, letting his hands drop down her arms to rest at her elbows.

"So your not moving your mistress next door to have better access to her?" she asked with a laugh.

"No, that's why I moved you in with me." he joked back. She spun around in her chair and hit him in the arm.

"That's a terrible thing to say. It makes me sound like a slut." she said with a scowl.

"your right that joke was off color, I'm sorry. Now on to other topics, did you have fun today?" he asked as he turned her around in her chair and went back to work on her shoulders.

"Yes, it was great. I got so much stuff. The girls helped me pick out a lot of it. It was a lot of fun. Alexis has a great eye for clothes." she said as she emptyed her mug and got up to put it in the sink.

"I know she picked out most of my wardrobe." he said as he took her hand and led her upstairs to her bedroom. At the door to her room she stopped and turned to him. She looked between them and saw he was standing a few inches away. She stared into his eyes "I guess this is where we say good night." he said gruffly.

"Yes it is." she replied breathy as she leaned against the door to her room. He took a step closer and leand in to her. She could smell him, a mixture of soap, and citresy aftershave. He looked deeply into her eyes. "until tomorrow Kate." he bent his head down and brushed a feathery kiss across her lips, and then he was gone. She fell against her door and panted heavily. Then it hit her he did the same thing to her again.

"Oh no you don't!" she said in a harsh whisper. She rushed to the end of the hall and saw him walking into his bedroom. She pushed him up against the door frame and kissed him with firey passion. She fisted bolth of her hands in his hair and used them to hold his mouth against her's. he was stund at first but then his brain kicked in again and he returned the kiss with the same amount of heat. She licked his lower lip and he opened his mouth for her. His hands which were cluched to her arms for support broke up. One of them traveld to the back of her neck holding her head in place. The other headed south and he grabbed a hand full of her tight, toned, ass, to hold her pressed up to his body. When she broke the kiss needing air he moved his mouth to her jaw line and placed light kisses down her jaw to her neck. She tilted her head to the side giving him access. She wrapped her left leg around his waist and ground her pelvis into his crotch. He bit down softly on her neck, and she shivered. She felt him getting aroused and she was hit with a wicked idea. She smiled an evil smile. She pulled him up and kissed him as hard as she could. She put everything into the kiss. Then when he started to grind his hips into hers she let go. He was in a daze. It took him a minut to catch up with reality. He looked around and Kate was gone. He walked into his room and flopped onto the bed. He put his hand to his swolen lips and felt them tingle. The tightness in his jeans started to hurt and as he tried to figure out what just happened, realization hit home. She wound him up on purpose. He made a gnarling sound at the back of his throat . And layed back on his bed.

"I hate that woman!" he mutterd sharply.

AN: so that was chapter 12. I think the rest of the story will be wrapped up in the next chapter. I'm working on it now but it's slow going so far because I'm trying to outline and write "Conections" (working title) at the same time. It's my Rick/Jordan and Kate/Tom story. It's really hard to write for two different ships at the same time. One minute I'm writing Caskett fluff, and the next I'm writing Kate fluerting with Tom. I hate to say this but the last chapter of Fitting In might take a week to write, but that's only because I want to finish what is fast bacouming my favorite story with a good ending. I want people to finish reading Fitting In and feel anticipation for the sequal. Heated Moments is in the outling/pre writing stage. Conections is in the drafting stage. What will most likely happen is this time next week the last chapter of Fitting In will be put up. Then a few day later the first chapter of Conections will go up. Conections sould only be about ten chapters at the most and after I've got that out of my system I will get Heated moments up as fast as I can.


	13. Chapter 13

Disclaimer: Not Mine!

Chapter 13

Brunch, packing, and good byes.

Kate rolled over in her huge king sized bed, and sighed contentedly. She picked up her dad's watch and saw that it was past nine. She rolled out of bed and pulled on her new red silk robe. She made her way down stairs and found Rick in the kitchen already dressed for the day, cutting fresh fruit, and singing along to a song on the radio. She thought he looked adorable. As she walked up Rick stopped mid sentence and spun around.

"Hey gorgeous, coffee, or the mint tea stuff?" he asked holding up a coffee pot and a tea kettle. She took a seat on one of the bar stools at the counter.

"The mint tea please." she said. When Rick leaned over the counter to pour her tea she leaned in too and kissed him softly. He pulled back and put the tea pot down, then he attacked her lips with the same intensity she showed him last night. The kiss was hot, and it had Kate panting when she pulled back. "So what you making?" she asked as she leaned over the counter to see what he was doing.

"I'm making brunch. Fresh fruit, scrambled eggs, fresh bagels, bear claws, bacon, and sausages. Oh! and chilled mimosas." he replied as he opened the refrigerator and pulled out a tray of Champaign flutes.

"Wow you really went all out." she said as she took a sip of her tea.

"Yeah, we leave tonight and everyone is coming over this morning to help us pack and get ready to leave. I need to talk to Lanie, and Esposito too." he said as he went back to cutting pineapple cubes. Alexis came down next rubbing sleep out of her eyes. She took a seat next to Kate after she gave the older woman a hug.

"Hey guys, what are we doing this morning, and where's gram?" she asked with a yawn.

"She got up early and went out to brunch with her friend Rose." replied Rick as he washed a vine of red grapes in the sink.

"Then why are you making so much?" asked Alexis as she poured her self a cup of mint tea.

"We're having everyone over for brunch, and then there going to help us pack, and we're leaving for the airport at six." he said looking up from a big pan of scrambled eggs.

"Why are we leaving so late?" asked Kate.

"That was my doing." said Alexis

"But why?" Kate asked

"It's so we spend most of the flight asleep so when we land all we need is a quick nap and we don't feel so jet lagged. The flight leaves at 9PM tonight, we sleep six hours on the plane. We get there at noon London time tomorrow. We check into our room, and take a nap, and we're up for a late lunch, and site seeing." said Alexis like it was so simple to follow along. Rick looked at Kate questioningly. She shook her head. He was glad to see Kate was just as lost as he was, it made him feel a lot less stupid. He sent the girls upstairs to get dressed.

The door bell rang. Rick open the front door to find Jordan and Kelly standing on the other side. Kelly jumped into his arms and hugged him. "Hey uncle Rick!" she said as she moved off in search of Alexis. Jordan stepped in and stood in the doorway awkwardly.

"Hi Richard, um, thank you for inviting us to brunch, um" she said softly. He laughed and pulled her into a hug.

"Hey Jordan, longtime no see." he said sarcastically. He then pulled back and slung his arm around her shoulders and led her to the counter. She took a seat on a bar stool and he handed her a mimosa. Jordan saw that they were alone for the moment and decided it was time she got some answers.

"Richard, why did you do all that stuff for me yesterday?" she asked flippantly, but Rick spent way too long in interrogation rooms to know that his answer would be very important. Kate had suspects confessing to murders with that same tone.

"What do you mean?" he tried to collect more information to phrase his response better.

"I'm asking what you want in return." she said without preamble.

"Nothing." he said truthfully, looking her straight in the eyes.

"Okay" she said staring back at him.

"What caused the interrogation tactics?" he asked with a smile as he went back to work on his fruit.

"I was sitting in bed last night, and I couldn't shut my brain off. I kept going over everything that happened yesterday, and thinking there is no way he did all that stuff for nothing. Then I thought maybe he wants sex." she said looking up at him.

Rick looked up seriously. "I wont deny that you're a beautiful woman Jordan, and if I wasn't in love with Kate I'd be all over you. But I am. I love her, and she's unsure of my intentions with you too. She thinks I'm going to leave her for the first woman I see. I think it stems from her total lack of tits, and her ugly face."

"What! I am not insecure, and as for my tit…" Kate stopped mid rant as she saw the look on Rick's face as she walked up to them.

"Say's the woman hiding around the corner spying on my conversation." replied Rick victoriously. Kate blushed at being caught and trapped. Jordan laughed at them both.

"You two are so cute. I remember when Sam, and I used to be like that." she said with a sigh. Kate sat in the bar stool next to her and put her arm around Jordan's shoulder. The door bell rang and Kate got up to answer it. Lanie saw it was Kate that opened the door for her and smiled.

"Making yourself comfortable I see." Lanie said as she walked past Kate and took the seat Kate vacated to answer the door. "Hay girl. How you doing today?" she asked Jordan, but all she got was a shrug in response. "Well that wont do. I think tomorrow we need to go out for lunch and have some fun. When was the last time you had fun girl?" asked Lanie with a laugh.

"It's been a while." Jordan answered honestly with a smile.

"See that just won't do. My girl Katie is going to be out of town for two weeks, that means my pipeline to all the good gossip is shut down. I'm not going to have anyone to dish dirt with, I think you need to come down to the morgue and keep me well informed. In fact that's what we'll do. We'll take turns buying lunch and we'll dish dirt. What do you say?" asked Lanie as she bumped shoulders with Jordan.

"um yeah I guess, okay. Sounds like fun. If I'm not too busy with a case of course." said Jordan.

The two girls walked down the stairs talking about some boy band. Rick handed Kate a platter with eggs on it. "Lets move this to the table." he said as he took the huge bowl of fruit to the table. The women got situated around the table and Rick brought out the rest of the plates. When everyone was seated and had plates full of food Rick held up his mimosa. "I would like to say thank you for coming over this morning, after tonight Alexis, Kate, and I are going to be gone for two weeks. So I see this meal as our last get together before we fly off. So to friends and family." Rick said as he clinked his glass with everyone.

Kate took a bite of melon. "So who's helping me pack?" she asked with a smile.

"Me and Jordan." said Lanie.

"and I'm helping Alexis." said Kelly.

"Who's helping me?" said Rick with a pout.

"We will you big Baby, after Kelly helps me pack we'll come and help you dad. I swear you'd think he's the child." Alexis said with a smirk.

"that's just mean. I'm a big boy you know. I don't need any ones help." Rick said in an over the top affronted tone.

"How about this, you go in to your room, and pull out what you think you need for the trip. Then later we'll come in and see how your doing?" asked Alexis, as Kelly giggled.

"Fine!" Rick said, he then very maturely stuck out his tongue. Kate smacked him in the arm.

"We have guest. Act at least half your age." Said a laughing Kate.

"Yes dear" he said then when he thought she wasn't looking he made a funny face at the girl's.

"Richard!" Rick flinched at Kate yelling his name.

"Sorry." he said with a smile.

"No you're not, but at least you said it." said Kate.

Alexis turned to Kelly and asked if she was finished. "yeah, lets go" said Kelly. The two girls walked off in the direction of Alexis' room. Kate took the last bite of her bagel, and wiped her mouth.

"I think the girls have it right, lets get to packing." said Kate as she stood up.

"Actually I need to talk to Lanie for a second if I can keep her here for a moment I'll send her up to help in a minute." Rick asked. Lanie shrugged and retook her seat. Kate led Jordan upstairs.

"Okay Castle what do you need?" Lanie asked.

"I just wanted to ask you to look out for Jordan while we're gone. I know you said something about taking her out to lunch, and I'm grateful for that." he said.

"It's cool Castle. Like I said my girl's going to be out of the country. I need someone to keep me in the loop." said Lanie flippantly.

"I know, it's just she's like Kate, I can see it, she's going to try to be strong about the whole situation, and I don't want her to crack under the pressure of a case." said Rick.

"I think it's nice that you're looking out for her, and all. I'll keep watch over her while you guys are gone." said Lanie as she stood up, and took her plate to the sink.

"Well she's been through a lot lately. With being kidnapped, and then finding out her husband is a cheating asshole. Then on top of that she has to deal with a divorce. I know she's going to have a break down, like Kate did over the books, and I want you to be there for her when it happens." he said as he took the rest of the plates to the sink.

"I can do that." said Lanie with sincerity.

"Thank you, Lanie." he said as he gave her a hug. "Now you have to help Kate fit all the stuff you guys got yesterday into the five rolling red suitcases sitting outside of her room, and I have to go prove to my daughter that I can pack for a trip without her help." he said the last part like it was his quest in life to pack for the trip. Lanie laughed at him as she climbed the stairs and found Kate's room. When she walked in she found the bed pack with clothes.

I hope you're not planning to take all that." Lanie said as she moved a stack of jeans over and took a seat on the bed.

"No, but I am taking the opportunity to organize the closet. I haven't had the chance to do it yet." Kate said as she hung up a heavy coat.

"Well I wouldn't spend too much time on that unless you're planning to use this bedroom as a dressing room." Lanie said.

"What are you talking about?" Kate said as she looked over the piles of clothing looking for the stuff she wasn't taking with her.

"Well with the way you opened the door this morning, and the looks writer boy keeps tossing your way when he thinks no one is looking. I say by the time you come back from the trip you wont need this bedroom to sleep in." Lanie said as she held up one of the sexy nighties she picked out the day before.

"You're just saying that to mess with me, Right Jordan? Tell her she's crazy." Kate said as she snatched the nighty out of Lanie's hand.

"I'm with her on this one. You definitely won't be sleeping in this room when you get back. And if you are then I weep for you as both a woman and a friend." Jordan said as she picked up a small red silk thong and twirled it around with a big smile.

"You guys are funny. I don't plan on things changing that much between us over the course of the trip. I still want to keep some form of independence. I think it's a good idea to treat this relationship like I still live in my own place. You know? Just because I live in the guest bedroom for awhile doesn't mean that I'm going to just move right along into the living together stage this fast." Kate explained as she folded up some of the more racier thing she got yesterday and put them away in her drawer.

"So let me get this straight, you're not going to get you some writer boy?" Lanie asked confused.

"That's not what I said at all. I'm going to let Rick court me like he would as if I don't live with him. I plan on getting me some writer boy after the third date. Until then I plan on keeping it above the waist." Kate said with a shrug. As she sorted her jeans in to two piles, one going with her on the trip, and the other going into a drawer.

"I think you're nuts. I would get me some of that on the first night their. Hell I'd join the mile high club with him." Lanie said with a smirk.

"I may be new to this conversation but I agree with her completely. If I didn't know he was so in love with you I would have totally went for him. And if you mess this up I call dibs on him." Jordan said.

"Not fare! I wanted to call dibs." Lanie said with a pout. Kate stood by her suit case with her mouth hanging open.

"What! No one's calling dibs! He's mine, and you can't have him." Kate said.

"Well then start acting like it!" Jordan said with a little victorious smile.

"Yeah girl we might back off but the rest of the world won't, so you better keep him happy! He's a great catch, and any woman that spends time with him will know that." Lanie said to Kate she then turned to Jordan. "Nicely played. I've been trying to get her in the 'that's my man!' Mind set for a long time now. Good job." Lanie said as she gave Jordan a gulf clap.

"Who said anything about playing? If she messes this up I'm going to be all over Rick in an instance. I will never break up a couple, especially after what Sam did to me. But I will step in the minute she's out of the picture. Rick is a really great catch. He's a good, kind man that would take care of Kelly and me for the rest of my days. That's the kind of man from fairy tales." Jordan said with a straight face.

"See there's your motivation girl. Your competition is living next door. That was not nice to say by the way." Lanie said to Jordan as she reached out and cuffed her on the shoulder.

"What? Someone in this room has to say it. If she's got a snowball's chance in hell of making this thing work she has to think about this stuff. She has to treat this like she's won the grand prize, and not like she's begrudgingly letting him cop a feel. I think she needs to take the sexiest thing she has with her, and I think on the first night she needs to show up at his room in nothing but that. I told her half of this before. After the case was done I told her she had something special, and that was before I was single. If I had been single at the time I would have shown just how grateful I was for him coming to rescue me." Jordan said.

If they had been paying attention to what Jordan was putting in the suitcase instead of what she was saying, Kate would have stopped her, and Lanie would have helped. Jordan found all of the tops with low cut neck lines and put them in the suitcase. She then moved over to the underwear pile and did the same thing. She only packed sexy little bras and thongs. If Kate wasn't going to pack sexy stuff then Jordan was going to pack it for her. She hadn't been kidding when she said she would be the first in line to be with Rick. The guy was a total knight in shining armor. He fixed all her problems yesterday, and she was not ashamed to admit that seeing the chivalrous side of Rick Castle was a big turn on for her. But if Rick wanted Kate she would do all that she could to help out because that's what Rick did for her, and she was bound by honor to return the favor.

Jordan looked up as she was putting the last pair of sexy panties in the suitcase and made eye contact with Lanie. She held up the thong and showed Lanie what she was doing. She then nodded her head at Kate and then to the door. Lanie got this funny look on her face like she was trying to look mad and trying to hold back a laugh. She coughed a few times and walked up to Jordan. "That is not alright. It's not cool to talk about a friends man like that at all Jordan. I think I need to sit you down and talk some sense into you. Come on now." Lanie said as she dragged Jordan out of the room. When they were out of the room and down the stairs she turned on Jordan and hugged her. "I can't believe you distracted her so you could pack sexy stuff."

"Well it wasn't all BS. Rick is quite the catch, but if he wants Kate then I will do all I can to help out. I owe it to him. Now I need you to run up their and stop her from looking in her suitcase. She has to be on the other side of the world before she knows the fix is in. I'm going to go see how the girls are doing." Jordan said as she went back upstairs.

"That girl is dangerous. I like it." Lanie said to herself as she went back upstairs. When she walked in to Kate's room she found her sitting in the chair that Jordan vacated. She had her knees tucked up against her chest and she was looking off into space. "Katie girl, what's wrong?" Lanie asked as she sat on the corner of the bed facing Kate.

"Jordan's right. I've been acting like going out with Rick is a chore. I'm surprised he's still interested in me. I should have taken your advice and jumped him a long time ago. Now I'm sitting here talking about waiting three more dates. Lanie this is nuts. The man's had sex with super models, and movie stars before. He can have any woman he wants and here I am treating him like a lackey. I think I'm going to take your advice and drag him in to the airplane bathroom." Kate said.

"No Katie girl. I think that you've waited so long that it has to be special. I think you should wait a little bit, not too long, but a little bit. Make it special. Do it in a fancy hotel in Paris, light some candles, and take your time. Then on the flight back take him to the airplane bathroom for a quickie." Lanie said with a laugh as she hugged a laughing Kate.

In Alexis' room the girls were just about to go see how Rick was doing when Jordan walked in. "Hey mom, I thought you were helping Kate pack?" Kelly asked her mom.

"I was, until I figured out that she wasn't going to try to put the moves on Rick so I distracted her, and filled her suitcase with sexy underwear and tops. I need you to give this note to her when you guys get to the hotel and she sees what I did." Jordan handed a envelope to Alexis.

"why do I have to give it to her?" Alexis asked as she took the note.

"Because if I give it to Rick, he'll open it, and if I give it to Kate after what I just did to her she might throw it out. Plus if you had it to her she wont hit you." Jordan said.

"I see your points. What did you say to her?" Alexis asked as she put the note in her carry on.

"I told her that if she messes things up with your dad I'm waiting in the wings to take her place." Jordan said flippantly.

"That's just mean, I like it." Alexis said with a laugh.

"Alright girls lets see what Rick's packed." Jordan said as she lead the girls down the hall to Rick's room they found him sitting on his bed reading a book. All so on the bed was a closed suitcase, a white suit, three novelty Christmas boxers, a pair of knee high thermal socks, and six vibrant colored Hawaiian shirts.

When they walked into the room he looked up and smiled. "I'm all ready to go. I just have to put it in the suitcase. I picked some good stuff right?" He said with a thumbs up.

"I only pray that your joking." said Alexis.

"Of course I am. I have it all in the suit case on the bed. I also have two suits in a hang-up bag in the closet." Rick said as he stood up and opened his closet door to show them the bag.

"Okay now all we have to do is inspect it to make sure you have everything." Alexis said.

"Fine, knock your selves out. I need to make a phone call anyways. Call me when your done, and I'll bring it down to the door." he said as he walked by them.

"Okay." Alexis said. She then opened the suit case and started to look everything over.

Downstairs in his office Rick pulled out his iPhone and called Esposito.

"Esposito"

"Hey it's me Rick. I was just calling you to let you in on some stuff before we sail off in to the great blue yonder. The first thing I need to tell you is the Jordan was out of it yesterday because her husband kicked her out, and wants a divorce." Rick said as he sat in his office chair.

"That's terrible. Is she going to be okay?" Esposito asked.

"Yes, and No. I set her up with my lawyer, so she should be set for the divorce. And I have Lanie looking after her for the next two weeks. But I think at some point she might fall apart. She's keeping up a good front but if she gets over stressed she will crack. If that happens I need you to get her to somewhere quiet and call Lanie. She might be a fed, but she's still a cop and that means we're family. If this trip wasn't so important I would stay to keep an eye on her, but I have to go, so I'm putting you in charge of this. Can I trust you to do this for me?" Rick asked.

"Yeah bro, no problem." Esposito said flippantly.

"Good, when I come back from Europe I have a luxury box for the Yankee's Red Socks game, bring a date and tell Honey Milk to do the same." Rick said.

"You're kidding me! A box? Awesome! Thank you so much bro." Esposito was super excited.

"But your not invited if I find out that you've been lax in your job. You get me?" Rick said seriously.

"Got you bro, but you know this is blackmail right? It's a federal offence to blackmail an officer of the law." Esposito said in what Rick call his 'I'm a serious cop' voice.

"Yep. I'm well aware of that, I'm also aware of the fact that you went back to Mistress Irena's House of Pain after the case. And if you want that information to stay between you and me…" Rick trailed off conspiratorially.

"That's so not cool bro." said Esposito disappointedly.

"I know right? I'm a bad, bad, man." Rick said with an evil laugh.

"Well have a nice trip evil overlord, and I'll see you in two weeks." Esposito said with a laugh.

"See you in two weeks." Rick said as he hung up. He looked at his watch and saw it was almost time for lunch.

Two hours later everyone was packed and ready to go. Rick was sitting in his office packing up his laptop. Alexis and Kate were making a last minute search of the house to make sure they didn't leave anything behind. Although looking at the huge stack of suitcases by the door Rick didn't think they had anything left to leave home. Martha was sitting at the bar with Chet talking about what they were going to do for dinner. Lastly Jordan, Kelly, and Lanie were getting ready to leave for home. The phone rang and Martha picked it up. "Richard?" She called out to him.

He looked up. "Yes?" He asked as he zipped up his computer bag and walked out of his office.

"That was Mike, the car is here." She told him.

"Oh good. Okay everyone lets move! The car is here." He called up stairs. Alexis and Kate came down with a few items proving Rick's assumption of them not having anything left wrong. They tossed the stuff in there bags and got there light coats on. "Okay everyone grab a bag, lets get it all out in one trip." He said picking up two of the biggest suitcases and carrying them out the door. The rest followed in his lead.

Downstairs Rick and the driver got all of the bags in the trunk while everyone else said goodbye. When he turned around he saw Alexis hugging Kelly, and Kate talking to Lanie, Jordan, and his mother. He walked up to Lanie and Hugged her. "Keep an eye on things while I'm gone, and I'll bring you back a few handbags." He said to her.

"Will do, and you take good care of my girl." She said with a laugh.

He then turned to Jordan and hugged her. "Don't hesitate to call me if something happens okay? And I promise to bring you back something." he said to her.

"Okay. Have a nice trip." she told him as she backed off.

He then hugged his mother. "have a good shoot mother, we'll see you when you get back." He said.

"You too kiddo, have fun." She said. He walked off to say good bye to Kelly. "I think it's time to say goodbye, come on group hug with all of my girls." Martha said to the other women. They all came together. "I tell you the number of daughters I have keeps going up." She said as she patted Jordan on the back.

Rick on the other hand was being squeezed to death by Kelly. " Have a good trip Uncle Rick!" she said excitedly.

"I will, and I promise to bring you back something." he said with a smile.

After a few more rounds of hugs and goodbyes Rick ushered Alexis and Kate into the back seat of the car and they were on they're way. Rick looked at Kate and she smiled back at him. He took her hand in his and she interlaced her fingers with his. They're relationship had come a long way in a short amount of time, and he was looking forwards to seeing where it was going next.

Kate leaned her head on his shoulder and made herself more comfortable. She also slung her other arm around Alexis' shoulders, getting a smile from the younger woman. She was amazed at how right this whole situation felt. If someone told her a week ago that she would be sitting where she was now, she would have called them crazy. But now she couldn't think of anywhere she would rather be. In Kate's opinion she was fitting in quite nicely with the Castle family, and that was just fine with her.

AN: this was the last chapter of Fitting In. the story that started out as something small, but grew to something huge. This was supposed to be a 5-6 chapter little story to move the characters from Thursday to Sunday. It ended up being biger than that. The next installment of this story will be called Heated Moments. I don't know when it will go up but I'm playing with outlines now as I work on Of officers and Agents. My non-Caskett story. I don't know how long it will be but it's fun to write another pairing. If you liked this story, and your not a militant Caskett shipper then you should give it a try you might like it. If not be on the look out for Heated Moments. At some point I also have to work on Master of war, my first fic and I think the last one I'll finish. If your waiting for that update than I'm sorry it's taking so long L Until next time, TBH


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